Title:	The effects of animal-assisted therapy on loneliness in an elderly population in long-term care facilities.
Author(s):	Banks MR; Banks WA
Author's Address:	Nursing Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63106, USA. bankswa@slu.edu
Source:	journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences [J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci] 2002 Jul; 57 (7), pp. M428-32.
Pub. Type:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Journal Info:	Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 9502837 ISSN: 1079-5006 Subsets: AIM; IM
MeSH Terms:	Animals, Domestic* Loneliness* Long-Term Care* Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animal; Human
Abstract:	BACKGROUND: Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is claimed to have a variety of benefits, but almost all published results are anecdotal. We characterized the resident population in long-term care facilities desiring AAT and determined whether AAT can objectively improve loneliness. METHODS: Of 62 residents, 45 met inclusion criteria for the study. These 45 residents were administered the Demographic and Pet History Questionnaire (DPHQ) and Version 3 of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS). They were then randomized into three groups (no AAT; AAT once/week; AAT three times/week; n = 15/group) and retested with the UCLA-LS near the end of the 6-week study. RESULTS: Use of the DPHQ showed residents volunteering for the study had a strong life-history of emotional intimacy with pets and wished that they currently had a pet. AAT was shown by analysis of covariance followed by pairwise comparison to have significantly reduced loneliness scores in comparison with the no AAT group. CONCLUSIONS: The desire for AAT strongly correlates with previous pet ownership. AAT reduces loneliness in residents of long-term care facilities.
Comments:	Comment in: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2002 Jul;57(7):M419-21. (PMID: 12084802)
Entry Date(s):	Date Created: 20020626 Date Completed: 20020718
Citation ID(s):	PMID: 12084804 Medline UI: 22079843
Database:	MEDLINE