Equine-related treatments for mental disorders lack empirical support: a systematic review of empirical investigations.
Abstract: Equine-related treatments (ERT) for mental disorders are becoming increasingly popular for a variety of diagnoses; however, they have been subjected only to limited systematic investigation. Objective: To examine the quality of and results from peer-reviewed research on ERT for mental disorders and related outcomes. Methods: Peer-reviewed studies (k = 14) examining treatments for mental disorders or closely related outcomes were identified from databases and article reference sections. Results: All studies were compromised by a substantial number of threats to validity, calling into question the meaning and clinical significance of their findings. Additionally, studies failed to provide consistent evidence that ERT is superior to the mere passage of time in the treatment of any mental disorder. Conclusions: The current evidence base does not justify the marketing and utilization of ERT for mental disorders. Such services should not be offered to the public unless and until well-designed studies provide evidence that justify different conclusions.
© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Publication Date: 2014-06-20 PubMed ID: 24953870DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22113Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Review
- Systematic Review
Summary
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The research article indicates that there is insufficient empirical evidence to support the efficacy of equine-related treatments (ERTs) for mental disorders. It underscores the need for more well-designed investigations to justify the use and marketing of such treatments.
Objective
The objective of this research was to evaluate the quality and results of peer-reviewed studies on equine-related treatments for mental disorders. This was aimed at addressing the growing popularity of ERTs against the backdrop of limited systematic research.
Methods
- The researchers examined 14 peer-reviewed studies that explored ERTs for mental disorders or closely related outcomes.
- They sourced these studies from various databases as well as from reference sections of articles.
Results
- They found that all considered studies were compromised by a substantial number of threats to validity.
- This raised inherent doubts about the meaning and clinical significance of these study findings.
- There was also a failure to provide consistent evidence proving that ERTs are more effective than the mere passage of time for treating any mental disorder.
Conclusion
Based on the current evidence, the researchers concluded that there is not enough justification for the marketing and utilization of ERT for treating mental disorders. These services should not be offered to the public unless and until there is evidence from well-designed studies to warrant different conclusions. This essentially calls for a more critical and methodical approach to the study of ERTs before they can be considered a verified treatment for mental disorders.
Cite This Article
APA
Anestis MD, Anestis JC, Zawilinski LL, Hopkins TA, Lilienfeld SO.
(2014).
Equine-related treatments for mental disorders lack empirical support: a systematic review of empirical investigations.
J Clin Psychol, 70(12), 1115-1132.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22113 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- University of Southern Mississippi.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Equine-Assisted Therapy
- Evidence-Based Practice
- Horses
- Humans
- Mental Disorders / psychology
- Mental Disorders / therapy
- Reproducibility of Results
- Research Design
- Treatment Outcome
Citations
This article has been cited 20 times.- Diaz L, Gormley MA, Coleman A, Sepanski A, Corley H, Perez A, Litwin AH. Equine-assisted services for individuals with substance use disorders: a scoping review.. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2022 Dec 14;17(1):81.
- Kovács G, van Dijke A, Leontjevas R, Enders-Slegers MJ. The Relevance of Internal Working Models of Self and Others for Equine-Assisted Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Aug 30;19(17).
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- Stolz I, Tillmann V, Anneken V, Froboese I. Development of an ICF-based assessment tool for equine-assisted therapy: model structure and reliability.. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med 2022 Feb;58(1):60-67.
- Zhu X, Suarez-Jimenez B, Zilcha-Mano S, Lazarov A, Arnon S, Lowell AL, Bergman M, Ryba M, Hamilton AJ, Hamilton JF, Turner JB, Markowitz JC, Fisher PW, Neria Y. Neural changes following equine-assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: A longitudinal multimodal imaging study.. Hum Brain Mapp 2021 Apr 15;42(6):1930-1939.
- Allen B, Shenk CE, Dreschel NE, Wang M, Bucher AM, Desir MP, Chen MJ, Grabowski SR. Integrating Animal-Assisted Therapy Into TF-CBT for Abused Youth With PTSD: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial.. Child Maltreat 2022 Aug;27(3):466-477.
- Kovács G, van Dijke A, Enders-Slegers MJ. Psychodynamic Based Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Adults with Intertwined Personality Problems and Traumatization: A Systematic Review.. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020 Aug 5;17(16).
- Pálsdóttir AM, Gudmundsson M, Grahn P. Equine-Assisted Intervention to Improve Perceived Value of Everyday Occupations and Quality of Life in People with Lifelong Neurological Disorders: A Prospective Controlled Study.. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020 Apr 3;17(7).
- Arnon S, Fisher PW, Pickover A, Lowell A, Turner JB, Hilburn A, Jacob-McVey J, Malajian BE, Farber DG, Hamilton JF, Hamilton A, Markowitz JC, Neria Y. Equine-Assisted Therapy for Veterans with PTSD: Manual Development and Preliminary Findings.. Mil Med 2020 Jun 8;185(5-6):e557-e564.
- Gatti F, Walderhaug E, Kern-Godal A, Lysell J, Arnevik EA. Complementary horse-assisted therapy for substance use disorders: a randomized controlled trial.. Addict Sci Clin Pract 2020 Feb 4;15(1):7.
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- O'Haire ME, Rodriguez KE. Preliminary efficacy of service dogs as a complementary treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder in military members and veterans.. J Consult Clin Psychol 2018 Feb;86(2):179-188.
- Carlsson C. Triads in Equine-Assisted Social Work Enhance Therapeutic Relationships with Self-Harming Adolescents.. Clin Soc Work J 2017;45(4):320-331.
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