Efficacy of a Dog Assisted Group Intervention in Elderly with Unwanted Loneliness (AAI)

Fundacio d'Investigacio en Atencio Primaria Jordi Gol i Gurina

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Elderly (people Aged 65 or More); Animal Assisted Therapy; Loneliness

Treatments: Behavioral: Psychoeducational Intervention as Usual; Behavioral: Animal Assisted Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06860412

Loneliness 25/020-P

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a dog-assisted group intervention in elderly people with unwanted loneliness; in terms of improving the perception of unwanted loneliness and emotional well-being. To analyze whether differences are obtained in social support and to determine the satisfaction of the participants. Participants will be recruited from a Primary Health Care Center. These objectives will be accomplished through a randomized clinical trial, single blind, two-arm study of AAT for elderly people with unwanted loneliness.

Full description

Background: Unwanted loneliness negatively affects the physical and psychological health of older adults, as well as increasing the likelihood of engaging in behaviors harmful to health. This is an increasing reality and is considered a public health problem. Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a planned, structured, goal-oriented therapeutic intervention directed by health professionals.

Purposes: To evaluate the efficacy of AAT (with therapy dogs) in elderly people with unwanted loneliness. To assess whether there are differences in the scores obtained after the group intervention regarding the perception of unwanted loneliness and emotional well-being. To analyze whether differences are obtained in social support. To determine participants' satisfaction with the group intervention.

Methodology: A two-arm randomized controlled clinical trial (control group (CG) and experimental group (EG)) with a simple blind (evaluator). Participants will be recruited from a Primary Health Care Center: aged 65 or older, diagnosed as "living alone," and experiencing unwanted loneliness. Intervention: The EG will participate in 9 psycho-educational group sessions (once-a week, 90 minutes) with a therapy dog as a facilitator. In the CG, the same sessions will be conducted without the therapy dog. Assessment: UCLA Loneliness Scale, Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale, Emotional Well-Being Scale (e-CAP), Duke-UNC-11 Functional Social Support Questionnaire, and Satisfaction Questionnaire.

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• People who are 65 years of age or older assigned to the Primary Health Care Center.
• With a diagnosis of "living alone" registered in the computerized clinical history.
• Present unwanted loneliness with a score higher than 3 on the Three-Item Loneliness Scale (TIL Scale). The TIL Scale consists of three questions: How often do you feel that you lack company?, How often do you feel excluded?, How often do you feel isolated? The response options consist of a three-level Likert scale: "almost never", "sometimes" and "often"; the results being from 3 to 9 points.
• Delivery of the information sheet and signature of the informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• If in the initial interview they declared having allergy to dogs.
• Significant fear of dogs
• Meets research criteria for a diagnosis of dementia.
• Do not understand or speak Catalan or Spanish

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups

Animal Assisted Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Participants assigned to the experimental arm will receive active non-pharmacological treatment utilizing a Psychoeducational Intervention accompanied by live therapy dogs. The experimental group will carry out a total of 9 group sessions of one and a half hour duration, on a weekly basis for 9 consecutive weeks. The groups will be formed by 10 participants.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Animal Assisted Intervention

Psychoeducational Intervention as Usual

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants assigned to the active comparator arm will receive active non-pharmacological treatment utilizing a psychoeducational intervention as usual. The participants carry out a total of 9 group sessions of one and a half hour duration, on a weekly basis for 9 consecutive weeks. The groups will be formed by 10 participants.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Psychoeducational Intervention as Usual