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Canine-assisted Psychotherapy Motivation Alliance

ConditionsMotivationAlliance, Therapeutic
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age9-17
SponsorUniversity of Basel

About this trial

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.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

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

Disqualifiers

acute psychosis; early childhood autism

diagnosed developmental disorder or intellectual delay; if not diagnosed, exclusion when questionnaires cannot be completed due to development level

fear of dogs

allergic reactions to dogs

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Standard Psychotherapy

    Behavioral

    Participants receive a standard psychotherapy session with no dog being present.

  • Canine-assisted psychotherapy with dog actively integrated.

    Behavioral

    A dog is present and actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative.

  • Canine-assisted psychotherapy with dog passively integrated.

    Behavioral

    A dog is present but not actively integrated into the therapeutic narrative.

Treatment groups

150 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groups
Group A: No dog presentExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Dog present and active part of therapeutic narrative.Experimental treatment 1 intervention
Group C: Dog present but not active part of therapeutic narrative.Experimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

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.

Time frame
9 weeks
2

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.

Time frame
9 weeks

Secondary outcomes

1

Treatment satisfaction of patients

Treatment satisfaction of children is measured after the fifth therapy session as well as four weeks after as follow up using the "treatment assessment questionnaire (FBB)". The FBB consists of 20 items answered with a 5 point likert scale.

Time frame
4 weeks
2

Number of missed sessions

Number of missed sessions and drop-outs will be documented for each child participating in the study.

Time frame
5 weeks

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

University of Basel

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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