A Feasibility Study: TheraPaws in Community Substance Misuse Services
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A study determining the acceptability and feasibility of using a 12-week animal-assisted group therapy programme in a community substance misuse service.
IRAS ID
250906
Contact name
Devon De Silva
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Brent Council
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 0 days
Research summary
WDP have partnered with the Mayhew to adapt the latter’s existing TheraPaws programme into a 12-week animal assisted group therapy (AAT) programme. Existing literature suggests that animal assisted therapy is effective at reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety (Souter and Millter, 2007; Lundqvist et al, 2017; Contalbrigo et al, 2017), increasing social behaviours (Filan et al, 2003), improving quality of life (Lundqvist et al, 2017) and enhancing social skills (Contalbrigo et al, 2017). Animal Assisted Therapy has been used to support both adults and young people (Balluerka, 2014) and has been used as an intervention to address a range of conditions from dementia (Filan et al, 2003), depression, anxiety and trauma related disorders (Balluerka, 2014) to offending behaviour (Ormerod, 2008) and addiction (Contalbrigo et al, 2017; Wesley et al, 2009). Whilst there is evidence that suggests that AAT is effective at reducing symptoms associated with mental ill health and substance misuse (Contalbrigo et al, 2017; Wesley et al, 2009), most research appears to be completed in prison (Contalbrigo et al, 2017) or residential rehabilitation settings (Wesley et al, 2009) and does not evaluate the effectiveness of AAT in community settings.
Therefore, WDP’s Innovation and Research Unit have designed a mixed methods feasibility study to evaluate the acceptability of the adapted TheraPaws programme in a community substance misuse setting. Secondary aims of this research also include determining what effect the AAT programme has on service user substance use and mental wellbeing. The study will involve an initial pilot study with 5 service users and will then be expanded to a further 10 service users for a period of 12-weeks. 10 service users will also act as a control group and will continue to receive standard support offered by WDP.REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/0458
Date of REC Opinion
10 Jun 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion