Canine-assisted Psychotherapy Motivation Alliance
CAP
Effects of the Inclusion of a Dog in Psychotherapy on Children's Alliance and Treatment Motivation
1 other identifier
interventional
150
1 country
1
Brief Summary
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.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Jun 2022
Longer than P75 for not_applicable
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
May 2, 2022
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
May 20, 2022
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
June 1, 2022
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
March 31, 2025
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
December 31, 2028
ExpectedJuly 18, 2024
July 1, 2024
2.8 years
May 2, 2022
July 17, 2024
Conditions
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (2)
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 Outcomes (2)
Treatment satisfaction of patients
4 weeks
Number of missed sessions
5 weeks
Study Arms (3)
No dog present
EXPERIMENTALConventional psychotherapy with no dog being present.
Dog present and active part of therapeutic narrative.
EXPERIMENTALThe dog is actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative.
Dog present but not active part of therapeutic narrative.
EXPERIMENTALThe dog is present but not actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative.
Interventions
Participants receive a standard psychotherapy session with no dog being present.
A dog is present and actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative.
A dog is present but not actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- 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
You may not qualify if:
- acute psychosis; early childhood autism
- fear of dogs
- allergic reactions to dogs
- reported aggressive behavior towards animals in the past
- working with an own therapy dog
- completed therapy training or if not completed far advanced therapy training under supervision
- working with children and adolescents aged 9 to 17 years
- not working with an own therapy dog
- no completed or far advanced therapy training
- not working with children and adolescents aged 9 to 17 years
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
University of Basel
Basel, Switzerland
Related Publications (1)
Arnskotter W, Martin S, Walitza S, Hediger K. Effects of including a dog on treatment motivation and the therapeutic alliance in child and adolescent psychotherapy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2024 Jan 5;25(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07854-4.
PMID: 38183121DERIVED
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- PARTICIPANT
- Purpose
- TREATMENT
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Prof. Dr. Karin Hediger
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
May 2, 2022
First Posted
May 20, 2022
Study Start
June 1, 2022
Primary Completion
March 31, 2025
Study Completion (Estimated)
December 31, 2028
Last Updated
July 18, 2024
Record last verified: 2024-07