Journal
INTEGRATIVE CANCER THERAPIES
Volume 14, Issue 5, Pages 460-467Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/1534735415580678
Keywords
breast cancer; qualitative; animal; therapy; psychological morbidity
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) interventions have been shown to assist in coping and improve patient responses to symptoms. Specifically, the presence of an animal has been found to lower anxiety and motivate participation in therapy. We aimed to explore the acceptability of and experience of AAT during individual breast cancer counseling sessions. Methods. Patients undertaking counseling with a therapy dog present were invited to participate in the study. Patients were individually interviewed and asked to reflect on their experiences of AAT. Data generation and analysis were concurrent. Transcripts were analyzed thematically using a process of constant comparison. Results. Our sample included 8 female participants, 39 to 61 years old, at an average of 3 years post-breast cancer diagnosis. The majority of patients reported a positive experience with AAT. Themes that emerged around their counseling experience included benefits in the process of initiating counseling and benefits for greater engagement and personal disclosure. Conclusions. Incorporating AAT into the delivery of counseling for breast cancer patients appears to be feasible and acceptable at a patient level. From a clinical perspective, AAT promoted increased communication with health professionals. This is of clinical importance as a means to improve participation and engagement in therapyimportant elements in therapeutic outcomes. However, further evaluation of the impact of AAT on specific patient outcomes and psychological morbidity is required.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available