Animal Assisted Interventions: Effects and Mechanisms of Action

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Welfare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1522

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK
Interests: ageing; applied/experimental psychology; lifestyles and identities; older people; public health; tourism human resources; animal assisted intervention
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue welcomes submissions including primary research focused on the efficacy of animal-assisted interventions to improve human health and wellbeing, including physical, mental health and behavioral issues. Research papers may also explore the mechanism of action of animal-assisted interventions and the benefits and drawbacks of involvement in such interventions for the animals and humans involved. Research focusing on how animal-assisted interventions are currently being used to augment or as an alternative to standard treatments' is also welcomed. This Special Issue intends to move forward the knowledge on what issues animal-assisted interventions are effective for and what their mechanism of action may be. In addition, papers which include findings relating to the positive or negative impacts on the animals involved in animal-assisted interventions will be considered.

Prof. Dr. Ann Hemingway
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • animal-assisted interventions
  • behavior change
  • human animal communication

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 256 KiB  
Article
The Experience of Prisoners with Serious Mental Disorders Participating in a Dog-Assisted Therapy Program: A Qualitative Study
by Nuria Máximo-Bocanegra, Domingo Palacios-Ceña, Javier Güeita-Rodríguez, Sergio Serrada-Tejeda, Ana García-Medranda, Alba Pacheco-Guijarro, Carlos Pacheca-Flores and Jorge Pérez-Corrales
Animals 2025, 15(3), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030379 - 28 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1074
Abstract
(1) Background: This study investigates the experiences of prisoners with serious mental disorders who participated in a two-month dog-assisted therapy program within a Spanish prison. The aim was to understand the emotional and psychosocial impacts of the program on this population. (2) Methods: [...] Read more.
(1) Background: This study investigates the experiences of prisoners with serious mental disorders who participated in a two-month dog-assisted therapy program within a Spanish prison. The aim was to understand the emotional and psychosocial impacts of the program on this population. (2) Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used with purposeful sampling of sixteen prisoners (mean age 43.4) who completed the program. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes. (3) Results: Participants reported a positive emotional impact, highlighting the significance of bonding, love, and reciprocal affection with the therapy dog. They emphasized the dog’s unconditional nature as a source of comfort and connection. The importance of supportive relationships with the therapists who guided the sessions was also noted. Additionally, participants reflected on their motivations for joining the program and described progressive emotional changes over the course of their participation. (4) Conclusions: Dog-assisted therapy shows potential as a psychosocial intervention to enhance the prison experience for individuals with serious mental disorders. By fostering emotional well-being and positive connections, it may contribute to improved rehabilitation outcomes and better quality of life for this population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Assisted Interventions: Effects and Mechanisms of Action)
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