The use of Animals in Assisted Therapy: Systematic Review of the Literature
Journal Title: Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research (BJSTR) - Year 2018, Vol 6, Issue 1
Abstract
Animal assisted therapy refers to the use of animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, turtles, birds, among others in the care of hospitalized patients. This study aimed to analyze the benefits of Dog Therapy for children with cancer. It is a systematic review of the literature, carried out in Scielo and with the descriptors “assisted therapy” and “animals” and in the VHL, with the descriptors “assisted therapy”, “animals” and “pediatrics”. The articles published in Portuguese and English, available in full, published between 2005 and 2017 were considered. We found 8 articles that dealt with the subjects: animal use in assisted therapy, hospital infection, role of the team in assisted therapy, humanization, lack of familiarity, recommendations and benefits of assisted therapy. It was observed that the Assisted Therapy brings innumerable benefits enabling improvement in the care for both the patient and the health professionals. Childhood cancer is a generic term that refers to “a heterogeneous group of diseases that have morbidity and mortality rates that depend on the type and extent of disease, the age of the child and the effectiveness of the initial treatment response” [1,2]. Cancer reaches 10 out of every 1,000,000 children each year worldwide, with one child in 600 developing it during childhood, but it is now known that two-thirds of these cancers are considered curable if the diagnosis is early and the treatment administered is adequate for the type of cancer [2,3]. The incidence rate of childhood cancer has grown at around 1% per year. In Brazil, cancer is already the third leading cause of death from 1 to 14 years, and in the city and state of São Paulo, it is the first cause of death between 5 and 14 years of age, excluding external causes [4]. Although cancer in children is considered rare in relation to adults, it is currently classified as the leading cause of death due to illness in children up to five years old, according to only deaths from violence and accidents [5]. With the cancer treatment, the child and the family suffer from the long periods of frequent hospitalizations and read missions. Having a child with cancer affects the entire family, and there is a chance of breaking these family ties, but if the family can adapt to this new routine and illness, their roles and responsibilities may change [6]. Due to the treatment the child is submitted to various hospitalizations and often for long periods of hospitalization, it is essential that the environment is as pleasant as possible for it. It is important that family, friends and people close to the child do not fail to visit him. In addition to taking the favorite toys and other objects that make the child feel the “taste” of home. The process of play is very important for the child at this stage of life as it helps in the development of physical, emotional, cognitive and social aspects. In children with cancer, play is an important tool to address the disease and treatment positively [7]. Hospitalization causes the child to become estranged from both the home and school environment, resulting in negative repercussions on academic achievement and socialization. In many cases, parents even quit their jobs, change their city, and make difficult decisions to accompany their child in the treatment of the Disease [8]. Animal-ssisted therapy (TAA) refers to services developed by health professionals, whose main element is the use of animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, turtles, birds, among others in the care of hospitalized patients [9]. Among the animals most frequently used by nurses, the dog is distinguished by means of Assisted Dog Therapy (CAT), which has a natural affection for the people, is easily trained and creates positive responses to touch [10]. The earliest records of TAA use occurred around 1972, in England, by William Tuke, employed in the treatment of the mentally ill. In Brazil, he appeared with the psychiatrist Nise da Silveira in 1946, when he founded the Occupational Therapy Service in Rio de Janeiro, using cats as co-therapists for patients with mental disorders [11]. There are several benefits to the use of CT, both psychological and physiological: pain reduction, anxiety, reduction of heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and stress and the improvement in the interpersonal relationship of the child. With the presence of the animal the child ends up creating a bond with him and in this way feels more secure in expressing his feelings [10]. Nurses recognize their role as key in providing and ensuring that actions such as TAA allow the child and adolescent a chance to experience the love, affection and complicity that the animal can provide.
Authors and Affiliations
Silvia Maria Ribeiro Oyama, Bruno Vilas Boas Dias, Gabriela Wanderlei, Marilia Gabriela da Silva
Keywords
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- EP ID EP592284
- DOI 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.06.001293
- Views 136
- Downloads 0
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