Animal-assisted Resilience Training for Children With Stressful Life Events or Autism Spectrum Disorder

NCT06025539 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: Resilience training
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 107
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the effects of an animal-assisted resilience training in children who experienced stressful life events or who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The main question it aims to answer is: • Is an animal-assisted resilience training a feasible approach to increase resilience in children with a history of stressful life events or a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder? Participants will take part in 12 training sessions of a standardized resilience training. The training is group-based, takes place outdoors, and includes interactions with different animals. It focuses on self-esteem, self-perception, dealing with emotions, and social competence.

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder; Life Change Events

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Questionnaire on resources in childhood and adolescence

  Pre-to-post assessment changes in resilience

  18 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Questionnaire to assess emotion regulation in children and adolescents

  18 weeks

• Number of attended sessions

  12 weeks

• Feeling secure and motivation to participate as measured on a 0-10 scale

  12 weeks

• Intervention satisfaction as assessed in semi-structured interview

  18 weeks (follow-up)

• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

  18 weeks

Study Arms (1)

Animal-assisted resilience training

EXPERIMENTAL

12 sessions of group-based, animal-assisted resilience training.

Behavioral: Animal-assisted resilience training

Interventions

Animal-assisted resilience training BEHAVIORAL

Participants take part in 12 sessions (120 minutes each), each session focuses on a topic that is related to resilience. The intervention takes part outdoors on a farm, and includes interactions with several different animals. The training takes place in small groups, and includes exercises, observations, and discussions.

Animal-assisted resilience training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 2 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Age between 2 and 4 years (toddler group) or 8 and 12 years (children group)
• History of at least one stressful life event experience OR diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
• Basic knowledge of either German or English of parents and child to follow the instructions during the training sessions and completion of interviews.

You may not qualify if:

• \- Medical contraindications for contact with animals, such as allergies or phobia

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Basel

Basel, 4055, Switzerland

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 22, 2023
• First Posted: September 6, 2023
• Study Start: August 10, 2021
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2025
• Study Completion: December 31, 2025
• Last Updated: May 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CH (1)