To begin with.......

This marks the start of my expedition through making a blog that focuses on Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) and the positive effects that an animal can have on someone with a mental illness.
I grew up on a farm so I have always been around animals. I predominately love dogs so this blog will focus more on puppies/dogs over any other animal.
Just under a year ago my boyfriend and I had bought a new puppy we choose to call it Coco (mainly because the colour of her chocolate coat). A month before we had got Coco I had been in an car accident which resulted me ending up with a fractured pelvis and which also meant that I was unable to do much for the following few months. Having Coco took my mind off what had happened and I feel had potentially saved me from becoming depressed.

SO this is how I had come to the topic using AAT as an intervention with individuals that have a mental illness. I wanted to learn and explore more in depth what services are potentially out there and also how AAT essentially works.

I do remember that Animal assisted therapy (AAT) was first introduced to me in class by a fellow occupational therapy student and sparked some interest. I have not personally seen an occupational therapist using this type of therapy but have experienced how a new animal or pet can help someone heal and lift your spirits when you are feeling low. There are many directions that animal assisted therapy can go in. There is animal assisted therapy for: children with cancer, autistic children, and children of military families, elderly in rest homes, and elderly in residential homes, those with physical disabilities and those who suffer from mental health issues.

I initially thought that animal-assisted therapy was a type of animal in a person's life helping them either as a Guide dog or an autistic dog. I had also thought in relation to mental health that AAT would help those who suffer from a mental illness by giving them a distraction from their illness and eventually help them improve their well-being by establishing routines, build relationships by socialising and build empathy.

Mental Ilness *Depression*

Mental Illnesses
To start with I'm going to investigate depression as a mental illness that can benefit from animal assisted therapy. According to Smith et al (2012) "depression varies from person to person, but there are some common signs and symptoms". Symptoms that I have identified are:

Isolation-from friends and family

Decrease in their eating habits- they may eat less or nothing at all

Lack of concentration - unable to hold a conversation because their mind is elsewhere

Changes in their mood – may be angry or overly sad about their outlook on life

Lack of energy and fatigue – they may not want participate in any activities of daily living because they have no energy

This may be due to lack of sleep – they could have irregular sleeping patterns

Reduced participation in hobbies or sports

Lack of self-care – not taking a shower every day, the house may become extremely messy

There are multiple treatment options for those who suffer from depression. The individual themselves who suffer from depression can choose what path they want to follow. Treatments such as psychotherapy (talking therapy), medicines, and alternate therapies-relaxation, yoga, acupuncture and massage can be used in conjunction for treatment. For this blog animal assisted therapy will be the topic of discussion.

LaJoie (2003) had stated from her review findings that there were numerous definitions and mixed terms used when discussing animal-assisted therapy. To make a key definition from these numerous other definitions the Delta Society based in the USA had established a term that could be used widely (as cited in Kruger & Serpell, 2010, p.34). Delta Society defined animal assisted therapy (AAT) as "a goal directed intervention in which an animal that meets specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process. AAT is directed and/or delivered by a health/human service professional with specialised expertise, and within the scope of practice of his/her profession. Key features include: specified goals and objectives for each individual: and measured progress"(p.34).
This means that only those health professionals who are qualified can apply AAT with patients. Through researching AAT I had discovered that there was another element and component called animal assisted activities (AAA) which was also refined by the Delta Society as a less structured and typically consists of predominately pet visitation. It provides opportunities for motivational, educational, recreational and/or therapeutic benefits to enhance quality of life. AAT can also be used by health professions and also requires a lot of volunteers to drive this type of therapy.