Animal-Assisted Therapy in Patients With Schizophrenia

Animal-Assisted Therapy in Middle-aged and Older Patients With Schizophrenia

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can be helpful to improve the psychiatric, emotional, physical,and social status in patients with physical and mental illness and the elderly.

The study aims to investigate the effects of AAT program in middle-aged and older patients with schizophrenia. The investigators will recruit 40 patients with schizophrenia in psychiatric ward randomised into AAT group and control group. AAT group will complete the 12-week program. This study contains two assessment sessions before and after intervention, including PANSS, ACIS, MoCA-T, CHI, DASS-21, CST, TUG and 5MWT.

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can be helpful to improve the outcomes of psychiatric and emotional symptoms, physical activeness, social skills, well-beings in patients with physical and mental illness and the elderly.

The study aims to assess the applications and outcomes of psychiatric symptoms, social skills, cognitive function, well-beings, emotional status and physical fitness of AAT program applied to middle-aged and older patients with chronic schizophrenia.

The investigators will recruit 40 patients with chronic schizophrenia who were admitted to day care ward and rehabilitation ward, and conduct a randomized, controlled study. 40 patients will be stratified by the ward into AAT group and control group. AAT group will complete the 12-week program. This study contains two assessment sessions completed within one week before and after 12-week program. Subjects will be evaluated by the PANSS, ACIS, MoCA-T, CHI, DASS-21, CST, TUG and 5MWT in both sessions. Statistical analysis is examined using paired t-test to see whether there is a significant difference (based on p-value) between the scores of two assessment sessions in the AAT and control group, and using independent t-test to see whether there is a significant difference in the change scores of two assessment sessions between the 2 groups.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Having a diagnosis of schizophrenia according to the DSM-5.
2. Adult aged 40 years or older.
3. Having stable physical and psychological health conditions based on master clinician judgment.
4. Having the will to participate in the study after thorough comprehension of the content.
5. Not receiving treatment protocol last half a year.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Severe cognitive impairment e.g. aphasia, being unable to follow 3 or more orders.
2. Being allergic to animals.
3. History of Asthma.
4. Coagulation disorders
5. presenting symptoms of specific phobia, anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder in context of dog, infection and contamination.