Examining the Effectiveness of EAL

McMaster University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Trauma

Treatments: Behavioral: Equine Assisted Learning

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05579717

14547

Details and patient eligibility

About

This quasi-experiment will evaluate the effectiveness of Equine Assisted Learning for reducing symptoms associated with trauma exposure among public safety personnel (e.g., fire fighters, police, paramedics, etc.).

Full description

The purpose of the proposed project is to investigate the effectiveness of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) for reducing symptoms associated with trauma exposure among public safety personnel. EAL is an intervention in which mental health clinicians and equine specialists work together with clients to address a learning goal via unmounted interaction with a horse. Recent literature indicates that EAL shows promise in addressing a range of mental health diagnoses among a variety of populations, including military and Royal Canadian Mounted Police veterans with PTSD. The EAL intervention will be delivered at Cartier Farms in Spruce Home, Saskatchewan. Research components of this study will be conducted virtually via Zoom.

The investigators will employ a quasi-experimental design with pre-post and follow-up testing. Participants will be assigned one of two groups based on the time that they complete their initial baseline interview: (1) the intervention group will receive the EAL intervention for 8 weeks, while (2) the waitlist control condition will not receive this treatment for the same amount of time. Data on trauma exposure symptom severity will be collected from all participants prior to the start of the the study (baseline), again 8 weeks later (post), and then a final time 3 months later (follow-up). The two conditions will then be compared to determine whether there are differences in trauma exposure symptom severity between groups. To obtain a sufficient sample size while also running appropriately sized interventions of 6-10 participants per session, the researchers will conduct 4-6 rounds of group assignment. All individuals in the waitlist control condition will be offered EAL following their completion of the study.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. English-speaking adults;
2. Currently or previously employed as public safety personnel (e.g., police officer, fire fighter, paramedic, healthcare worker, emergency dispatcher, correctional officer);
3. Reside in Saskatchewan;
4. Meet diagnostic criteria for having experienced a Criterion A traumatic event;
5. Able to provide written informed consent;
6. Have access to a smart phone, tablet, or computer with a working microphone and camera; and
7. Have access to consistent and reliable internet.

Exclusion:

1. Meet/met current/past diagnostic criteria for several psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neurological conditions;
2. History of severe head trauma with loss of consciousness or history of traumatic brain injury;
3. Have previously completed at least half of the EAL curriculum at Cartier Farms.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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40 participants in 2 patient groups

Equine Assisted Learning group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group will receive 16 sessions of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL), facilitated by a trained clinician at Cartier Farms.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Equine Assisted Learning

Waitlist control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in the waitlist control group will not receive EAL for the duration of the study.