Canine-assisted Psychotherapy Motivation Alliance

University of Basel150 enrolled

Overview

The aim of the study is to investigate the needed extent and the way a dog is integrated into psychotherapeutic interventions for them to be motivating and alliance building for children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders aged 9 to 17 years old. Specifically, we want to elaborate if the dog needs to be integrated into the therapy in a form that it is part of the therapeutic context or if the presence of the dog without being part of the therapeutic context per se is beneficial.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

150

Conditions

Motivation Alliance, Therapeutic

Interventions

Standard PsychotherapyBEHAVIORAL

Participants receive a standard psychotherapy session with no dog being present.

Canine-assisted psychotherapy with dog actively integrated.BEHAVIORAL

A dog is present and actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative.

Canine-assisted psychotherapy with dog passively integrated.BEHAVIORAL

A dog is present but not actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 9 YearsMax age: 17 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria for children and adolescents: : * Age between 9 and 17 years * Children are seeing the therapist for the first time * Basic knowledge of child and parents in either German or English to be able to fill in questionnaires * Informed consent given by legal guardian * Positive or neutral attitude towards dogs Exclusion Criteria for children and adolescents: : * acute psychosis; early childhood autism * diagnosed developmental disorder or intellectual delay; if not diagnosed, exclusion when questionnaires cannot be completed due to development level * fear of dogs * allergic reactions to dogs * reported aggressive behavior towards animals in the past Inclusion criteria for therapists: * working with an own therapy dog * completed therapy training or if not completed far advanced therapy training under supervision * working with children and adolescents aged 9 to 17 years Exclusion criteria for therapists: * not working with an own therapy dog * no completed or far advanced therapy training * not working with children and adolescents aged 9 to 17 years

Locations (1)

University of Basel

Basel, Switzerland

RECRUITING

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Therapeutic alliance of patients

Patient's reported therapeutic alliance is measured after the first, the third and the fifth therapy session of a newly began psychotherapy using the german adaptation of the "Therapeutic Alliance Scales for Children" (TASC)". The TASC consists of 12 items, answered with a 4 point likert scale. The questionnaire assesses the therapeutic alliance from the perception of the child. Four weeks after the fifth therapy session children will be asked to fill in the questionnaire again as follow-up measurement.

Time frame: 9 weeks

Motivation of patients

Patient's reported motivation is measured after the first, the third and the fifth therapy session of a newly began psychotherapy using the "Situational Motivation Scale for children (SMS-15)". The SMS-15 consists of 15 items answered with a 7 point likert scale. Four weeks after the fifth therapy session, children will be asked to fill in the questionnaire again as follow-up measurement.

Time frame: 9 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

Treatment satisfaction of patients

Treatment satisfaction of children is measured after the fifth therapy session as well as four weeks after as follow up using the "treatment assessment questionnaire (FBB)". The FBB consists of 20 items answered with a 5 point likert scale.

Time frame: 4 weeks

Number of missed sessions

Number of missed sessions and drop-outs will be documented for each child participating in the study.

Time frame: 5 weeks

Central Contacts

Karin Hediger, Prof. Dr.

CONTACT

(+41) 61 207 69 58 karin.hediger@unibas.ch

Wanda Arnskötter, Msc.

CONTACT

wanda.arnskoetter@unibas.ch

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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