Barcelona (Spain).- The Hospital Vall d’Hebron of Barcelona, in northeastern Spain, presented this Friday its treatment for mental health disorders in children and adolescents through therapy assisted with dogs, animals that help them relate and regulate emotions during their admission.
70% of the forty patients who have already benefited since its launch were admitted for self-harming or suicidal behaviors, while the rest suffered from autism spectrum disorders or eating disorders, among others.
"Four-legged Therapists"
When it's dog therapy day, anticipation grows on the Psychiatry ward of the hospital for the visit of the four-legged "therapists", always assisted and accompanied by human nurses, who direct the dog activities that complement the rest of the treatment and given the scientific evidence of the benefits it brings.
This has been explained in a press conference by both the head of hospitalization of the psychiatry service of Vall d'Hebron, Marc Ferrer, as well as the psychologist who coordinates the project, Bárbara Citoler, and the academic head of the same, from the Chair of Animals and Society of the Spanish Rey Juan Carlos University, Nuria Máximo.
Ferrer has drawn attention to the data from the World Health Organization (WHO) which indicate that one in seven young people between 10 and 19 years old suffers from some mental disorder and that in the last two years they have seen in the center "a growing trend" towards self-harming behaviors and suicide attempts".
"Each disorder has its particularities: some have difficulties controlling impulses and others communicating, but all have in common an emotional dysregulation. And that is what we work on in dog-assisted therapy," he added.
Breaking the First Barrier with the Patient
The psychologist has pointed out that for adolescents who perceive the hospital environment and interaction with strangers as more threatening, therapy with dogs allows them to "break the first barrier with the patient".
Máximo has also highlighted the fact that admitted patients are already eagerly awaiting the day of dog therapy, as an incentive during their admission.
"It's having hope for the future in a person who has entered because they don't want a future," pointed out the head of the dog-assisted therapy project, which is also carried out by other health centers in Spain.
The person in charge of the therapy dogs, David Ordóñez, from the organization Perruneando, has highlighted the importance of training both the dogs and the handlers for the therapy to make sense.
For now, the five dogs participating in this project, which has the financial backing of the Dingo Natura foundation, are two golden retrievers —India and Musa— and three jack russell terriers —Odette, Opala, and Xata.
Spanish
