Equine-assisted Intervention on Psychosocial Adjustment in Patients With Psychiatric Disorders

Evaluation of the Efficacy of an Equine-assisted Intervention on the Psychosocial Adjustment of Adult Patients Hospitalized and Monitored in Psychiatry: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of a brief equine-assisted intervention on the social adjustment, assertiveness, self-esteem and coping strategies in adult patients with psychosocial dysfunction, hospitalized and followed in psychiatry, as compared to standard care.

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients hospitalized in psychiatry with mental disorders lasting for more than 6 months with an EGF score on the Global Evaluation of Psychosocial Functioning scale of between 31 and 60 at the time of inclusion.

Exclusion Criteria:

• acute psychiatric crisis
• severe comorbidities (such as mental retardation, mental deterioration) which could invalidate informed consent or limit patient compliance with the study protocol.
• medical contraindication to equine-assisted therapy (allergy, immunocompromised patients)
• pregnancy
• no affiliation to a social security scheme
• deprivation of liberty by a judicial decision
• wardship
• horse phobia