Exploring the Impact on Levels of Positive Mental Health Through a Dog-Assisted Therapy Nursing Intervention: A Quasiexperimental Study With a Control Group

Abstract

Background Animal-assisted therapies (AATs) have shown benefits for people with mental illness. A ten-session Dog-Assisted Therapy Nursing Intervention, AcompdogSMP+, based on Dr. Lluch’s Multifactorial Model of Positive Mental Health (PMH), was created and validated to promote PMH behaviors.

Objective To evaluate the impact of Dog-Assisted Therapy Nursing Intervention on PMH levels, facilitating psychosocial rehabilitation in adults with severe mental disorders in a Community Mental Health setting.

Design and Methods A quasiexperimental pretest–posttest study was carried out, including n 70 participants: 36 in the experimental group and 34 in the control group. The validated Lluch PMH Questionnaire was used as a pretest and posttest measurement instrument. Mixed analysis of variance assessed changes after the intervention and differences between groups. The primary outcomes were global PMH and its specific factors according to Dr. Lluch’s theoretical model.

Results The intervention led to increases in both global PMH and the six specific factors of Dr. Lluch’s model. Dog-assisted therapy effectively improved participants’ personal satisfaction and well-being, autonomy, interpersonal relationship skills, and other model-specific factors.

Conclusions The combination of AAT and PMH programs emerges as an innovative and complementary element in mental health therapeutics in community rehabilitation programs. Clinical nurses are recommended to pay more attention to the PMH status of patients and also have knowledge of nursing intervention “AAT” to design and implement them in clinical practice, as complementary therapy.