Date of Award:

5-2013

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Psychology

Committee Chair(s)

Susan Crowley

Committee

Susan Crowley

Committee

Scott DeBerard

Committee

Michael Twohig

Committee

Edward Heath

Committee

Christopher Johnson

Abstract

This study examined the psychological and physiological effects of adding animal-assisted therapy to a modified mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR) for clients experiencing psychological distress, including anxious and depressive symptoms. State and trait mindfulness, state and trait anxiety, psychological distress, blood pressure, and heart rate were collected during each session of the intervention from college students recruited at Utah State University. Results support that participants experienced less anxiety and depressive symptoms and increased mindfulness skills from pre- to posttreatment. No significant difference was found between the control and experimental groups, indicating that that interaction with a therapy dog had no impact on symptom reduction, skill acquisition, or client satisfaction. Treatment occurred at the USU Psychology Community Clinic. The six 50-minute session intervention was provided by a graduate student therapist and certified therapy dog under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. Participants who completed the intervention were each given a $20 electronic gift card to Amazon.com or iTunes. No costs to the participants were anticipated beyond the time spent participating. Benefits of the study include adding to the existing knowledge base regarding the effects of animal-assisted therapy on psychological and physiological functioning in humans.

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