Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy for Pediatric Chronic Pain: Case Series of an Open Pilot Study to Test Initial Feasibility and Potential Efficacy.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Chronic pain is a common complaint in children and adolescents, placing an enormous burden on individuals, their families, and the healthcare system. New innovative approaches for the treatment of pediatric chronic pain (PCP) are clearly warranted, as drop-out rates in intervention studies are high and it can be difficult to engage patients with PCP in therapy. Here, animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) might be promising, since there is preliminary evidence for the approach in adults with chronic pain, and AAIs are generally known to foster the therapeutic motivation of patients. To date, however, AAIs have not been examined in pediatric chronic pain.

Methods

The aim of this open pilot study was to examine the initial feasibility of recruitment and potential effic

SUBMITTER: Locher C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10237188 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature