Clinical trial NCT05100108: A Dog-assisted Therapy to Reduce Burnout Among Professionals Working in a School for Special Education
Official title: Effects of a Dog-assisted Therapy on Quality of Life, Work Engagement and Burnout Among Professionals Working in a School for Special Education
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Occupational Groups
Work Related Stress
Keywords: dog-assisted
Burnout
Quality of life
Work Engagement
Human-animal interaction
Animal-assisted
Lead sponsor: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Asociación Dame La Pata
First posted: 2021-10-29
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Randomized controlled trial with two groups: a) the experimental group and b) a control group (waiting list)
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of an 8-week program consisting of dog-assisted therapy on the work engagement, burnout, pain, and quality of life among professionals working in a School for Special Education. A total of 30 participants will be involved in the program, which will be comprised of eight 50-min sessions conducted once a week. The hypothesis of the researchers in this study is that this program will achieve a reduction in burnout levels in workers, as well as an improvement in engagement and quality of life.

Detailed description: Animal-assisted interventions have shown numerous benefits in different populations including children with cerebral palsy or autism spectrum disorder, people with chronic pain, older adults, or people in prison. Recently, different initiatives have been carried out focused on improving the work environment, especially among professionals in clinical settings and obtaining benefits in mood, as well as a reduction in the levels of stress and burnout of employees. In addition, it has also been observed that these animals in the workplace can produce an improvement in health, productivity or job satisfaction.

The presence of stress or anxiety among professionals working in Special Education Schools has been previously reported and could increase burnout and reduce the engagement and health-related quality of life of these workers.

Therefore, the current randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of an 8-week program consisting of dog-assisted therapy on the work engagement, burnout, pain, and quality of life among professionals working in a School for Special Education. A total of 30 participants will be involved in the program, which will be comprised of eight 50-min sessions conducted once a week. The hypothesis of the researchers is that this program will achieve a reduction in burnout levels in workers, as well as an improvement in engagement and quality of life.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* be aged \>18 years
* be workers in a School for Special Education
* work in direct contact with children (teachers, physiotherapists, etc.)

Exclusion Criteria:

* People with dog-allergy
* People with dog phobia
* People with a history of impulsive animal aggression

Primary outcomes:
measure: Changes in Burnout levels assessed using the Burnout Clinical Subtypes Questionnaire
timeFrame: At baseline and immediately after the intervention (within 7 days after the last session)
measure: Changes in Burnout levels assessed using the Burnout Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)
timeFrame: At baseline and immediately after the intervention (within 7 days after the last session)
measure: Changes in Burnout levels assessed using one Item for Burnout assessment
timeFrame: At baseline and immediately after the intervention (within 7 days after the last session)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Changes in work engagement
timeFrame: At baseline and immediately after the intervention (within 7 days after the last session)
measure: Changes in Health-related quality of life
timeFrame: At baseline and immediately after the intervention (within 7 days after the last session)
measure: Changes in Health Status
timeFrame: At baseline and immediately after the intervention (within 7 days after the last session)
measure: Changes in pain
timeFrame: At baseline and immediately after the intervention (within 7 days after the last session)
measure: Changes in blood pressure
timeFrame: At baseline and immediately after the intervention (within 7 days after the last session)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Móstoles
country: Spain
facility: King Juan Carlos University
state: Madrid
Study officials:
affiliation: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
name: Daniel Collado-Mateo, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: