Canine-assisted Psychotherapy Motivation Alliance

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The aim of the study is to investigate the needed extent and the way a dog is integrated into psychotherapeutic interventions for them to be motivating and alliance building for children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders aged 9 to 17 years old. Specifically, we want to elaborate if the dog needs to be integrated into the therapy in a form that it is part of the therapeutic context or if the presence of the dog without being part of the therapeutic context per se is beneficial.

Official Title
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Effects of the Inclusion of a Dog in Psychotherapy on Children's Alliance and Treatment Motivation

Conditions
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Motivation, Alliance, Therapeutic

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Standard Psychotherapy
* Behavioral: Canine-assisted psychotherapy with dog actively integrated.
* Behavioral: Canine-assisted psychotherapy with dog passively integrated.


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Age between 9 and 17 years Children are seeing the therapist for the first time Basic knowledge of child and parents in either German or English to be able to fill in questionnaires Informed consent given by legal guardian Positive or neutral attitude towards dogs Exclusion Criteria: acute psychosis; early childhood autism fear of dogs allergic reactions to dogs reported aggressive behavior towards animals in the past

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 9 Years
Maximum Age: 17 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: No dog present<br>Conventional psychotherapy with no dog being present. | Behavioral: Standard Psychotherapy<br>* Participants receive a standard psychotherapy session with no dog being present.<br>|
| Experimental: Dog present and active part of therapeutic narrative.<br>The dog is actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative. | Behavioral: Canine-assisted psychotherapy with dog actively integrated.<br>* A dog is present and actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative.<br>|
| Experimental: Dog present but not active part of therapeutic narrative.<br>The dog is present but not actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative. | Behavioral: Canine-assisted psychotherapy with dog passively integrated.<br>* A dog is present but not actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Therapeutic alliance of patients | Patient's reported therapeutic alliance is measured after the first, the third and the fifth therapy session of a newly began psychotherapy using the german adaptation of the Therapeutic Alliance Scales for Children (TASC). The TASC consists of 12 items, answered with a 4 point likert scale. The questionnaire assesses the therapeutic alliance from the perception of the child. Four weeks after the fifth therapy session children will be asked to fill in the questionnaire again as follow-up measurement. | 9 weeks | 
| Motivation of patients | Patient's reported motivation is measured after the first, the third and the fifth therapy session of a newly began psychotherapy using the Situational Motivation Scale for children (SMS-15). The SMS-15 consists of 15 items answered with a 7 point likert scale. Four weeks after the fifth therapy session, children will be asked to fill in the questionnaire again as follow-up measurement. | 9 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Treatment satisfaction of patients | Treatment satisfaction of children is measured after the fifth therapy session as well as four weeks after as follow up using the treatment assessment questionnaire (FBB). The FBB consists of 20 items answered with a 5 point likert scale. | 4 weeks | 
| Number of missed sessions | Number of missed sessions and drop-outs will be documented for each child participating in the study. | 5 weeks |