Effects of animal-assisted group therapy on depression, self-efficacy experience, and mindfulness in adolescents with mental health disorders

The study has a prospective quasi-experimental design. 200 patients, all diagnosed with mental health problems and aged 13-17 years, receive either TAU (treatment as usual / control group) or the intervention (TAU plus animal-assisted group therapy).
Patients are recruited for the study via inpatient admissions to the psychosomatic Schön Klinik Bad Arolsen. Patients who wish to participate in the study, as well as their caregivers, will be informed about the study in advance and screened for eligibility with respect to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patients are assigned to the animal-assisted group by the psychotherapists and physicians of the clinic according to a predefined indication. Participantsgo through at least three of the five components of the group therapy. Gruops consist of 7 patients .
Outcome measures are mood of the patients, measured by depressive symptomatology, self-efficacy experience, mindfulness, self-concept, self-esteem, motivation and adherence to treatment.

Primary hypothesis: An extension of the psychotherapeutic treatment concept by animal-assisted group therapy (plus treatment as usual / TAU) lowers depressive symptomatology, possibly via increases in patients' experience of self-efficacy and mindfulness and thereby improving depressive symptomatology and causing faster stabilization compared to TAU alone.

Secondary hypothesis
The animal-assisted group therapy (TGGT) plus TAU group shows improvement during the course of therapy in terms of depressive symptomatology (BDI-FS, ADS), mindfulness skills (FFA), self-worth (MSWS), motivation and adherence (number of attended sessions), as well as an improvement in self-concept (BYI-2).

T0 Measurement at admission for inpatient treatment
T1 Measurement before start of animal-assisted intervention
T2 Measurements during the intervention (after each session)
T3 Measurement after completion of at least 3 of 5 components of therapy
T4 Measurement at discharge from inpatient treatment

Manualized animal-assisted group therapy divided into five modules. All modules are manualized and based on the standards of the cooperating clinic. The well-being of the animals is taken care of by a specialist therapist of the clinic (animal health practitioner / Specialist for alternative animal healing methods). Animal-assisted therapy is based on the guidelines of the IAHAIO (2018) as well as the Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare and the responsible veterinary office.