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Home / Equine Research Bank / Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being / Relatives’ experiences of an equine-assisted intervent...
International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being2022; 17(1); 2087276; doi: 10.1080/17482631.2022.2087276

Relatives’ experiences of an equine-assisted intervention for people with psychotic disorders.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to describe relatives' experiences of an equine-assisted intervention for people with psychotic disorders. Unassigned: The study has a qualitative and descriptive design. Ten semi-structured interviews were performed with relatives of people with a psychotic disorder who had participated in an equine-assisted intervention. A conventional content analysis was used to analyse the data. Unassigned: The overall category "Being with the horses strengthens health capabilities" summarizes the four identified subcategories "The horses contribute to a context with a common focus", "Interaction with the horses enhances self-confidence and motivation", "The interplay with the horses nurtures positive emotions" and "Being with the horses encourages physical activity". Unassigned: The result of this study contributes to the growing body of research about the potential outcomes of equine-assisted interventions. The result also indicates that equine-assisted interventions may improve health capabilities among people with psychotic disorders. The generated knowledge may be useful in mental health services when developing equine-assisted interventions.
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Publication Date: 2022-06-15 PubMed ID: 35698741PubMed Central: PMC9310814DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2022.2087276Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research studies the perspectives of family members regarding the impact of horse-assisted therapy on individuals affected by psychotic disorders.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers employed a qualitative and descriptive design for their study. Such a method is aimed at gauging the experiences and opinions of the interviewees rather than quantitative measurements.
  • They conducted ten semi-structured interviews, providing a degree of control over the interview’s direction while allowing for open-ended responses that could yield unpredictable but valuable perspectives. These interviews were performed with relatives of individuals having psychotic disorders, who had undergone an equine-assisted intervention.
  • They analyzed the data gathered from these interviews using a conventional content analysis. This method involved coding the raw data and identifying themes or patterns across the collected responses.

Key Findings

  • The overarching aspect identified was that “being with the horses strengthens health capabilities.” This was the principal finding that encapsulated the overall experience of the relatives regarding this intervention technique.
  • This main finding was further bifurcated into four sub-categories which were identified as beneficial impacts of the equine-assisted intervention. These were: the horses providing a shared focus, interaction with the horses boosting self-confidence and motivation, communicating with the horses stimulating positive emotions, and spending time with the horses promoting physical activity. Each of these sub-categories details a unique, positive aspect that this form of intervention contributed to.

Implications of the Research

  • The outcomes of this study add to the expanding research on the potential effects of equine-assisted interventions. This form of therapy involves interaction with horses to encourage mental and emotional growth, and this study provides further qualitative evidence of its benefits.
  • The results also highlight that equine-assisted interventions have the potential to enhance health capabilities among those with psychotic disorders. The qualitative experiences shared by relatives indicate potential improvements in the patients’ motivation, emotional wellbeing, focus, and physical health.
  • The information produced from the study may benefit mental health services in designing and implementing equine-assisted interventions. Insights about basic user experiences and the multiple benefits enjoyed by the patients can guide professionals in customizing such interventions for optimal effectiveness.

Cite This Article

APA
Fridén L, Hultsjö S, Lydell M, Jormfeldt H. (2022). Relatives’ experiences of an equine-assisted intervention for people with psychotic disorders. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being, 17(1), 2087276. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2022.2087276

Publication

International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being
ISSN: 1748-2631
NlmUniqueID: 101256506
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 17
Issue: 1
Pages: 2087276
PII: 2087276

Researcher Affiliations

Fridén, Linda
  • School of Health and Welfare, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden.
Hultsjö, Sally
  • Department of Psychiatry, Region Jönköping County, Sweden and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Division of Nursing and Reproductive Health, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Lydell, Marie
  • School of Health and Welfare, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden.
Jormfeldt, Henrika
  • School of Health and Welfare, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Mental Health Services
  • Psychotic Disorders / therapy

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have confirmed that all authors meet the ICMJE criteria for authorship credit (www.icmje.org) as follows: (1) substantial contributions to the conception and design of or acquisition of data or analysis and interpretation of data, (2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, and (3) final approval of the version to be published.

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