The effect of animal assisted activities on the stress and social anxiety levels of disabled children

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the effects of animal-assisted activities on the stress and social anxiety levels of physically disabled children. Method: This study is a single-blind randomized controlled experimental study designed in pretest, posttest and follow-up designs. In two separate Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers providing education under the Antalya Provincial Directorate of National Education, a total of 44 physically disabled children, including 23 control and 21 intervention groups, which comply with the added exclusion criteria, were carried out between November 2019-September 2020. The data of the study were obtained through Personal Information Form (PIF), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SACC) and blood pressure measurements. Animal assisted activity program (AAAP) with a 45-60 minute structure was applied to the intervention group, once a week for 7 weeks. Follow-up evaluation was made at the end of the 1st month following the completion of the application. Apart from the standard training given in the rehabilitation center, no intervention was done to the control group. The data were analyzed in SPSS 23.0 package program. Results: After the AAAP intervention, it was found that there was a decrease in the mean PSS and SACC scores of the children in the intervention group, and this decrease made a significant difference compared to the individuals in the control group (p <0.05). Conclusion: As a result of the findings, it has been determined that HayDAP is an effective intervention in reducing the stress and social anxiety levels of physically disabled children. In this context, it is recommended to expand the use of animal-assisted activity programs as a nursing intervention and to support their usefulness with different study results. Key words: pet therapy, disabled child, stress, social anxiety, psychiatric nursing