Physiological and behavioral effects of animal-assisted interventions for therapy dogs in pediatric oncology settings

Over the past two decades, animal-assisted interventions (AAIs), defined as the purposeful incorporation of specially trained animals in services to improve human health, have become increasingly popular in clinical settings. However, to date, there have been few rigorously-designed studies aimed at examining the impact of AAIs on therapy animals, despite a notable potential for stress. The current study measured physiological and behavioral stress indicators in therapy dogs who participated in AAI sessions in pediatric oncology settings, while also examining the psychosocial effects for patients and their parents. This manuscript describes the study’s canine stress findings. Methods: A total of 26 therapy dog-handler teams were paired with newly diagnosed children with cancer at five children’s hospitals in the United States. These teams provided regular AAI visits to the child and his/her parent(s) for a period of four months. The teams completed a demographic form, the Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), and a self-report survey to document the types of activities that occurred during each session. Canine saliva was also collected at five baseline time points and 20 minutes after the start of study sessions for cortisol analysis, and all study sessions were video recorded to document the dog’s behavior via an ethogram measure. Results: Data showed no significant differences in salivary cortisol levels between baseline (0.51µg/dL) and AAI sessions (0.44µg/dL), p = 0.757. Higher salivary cortisol was significantly associated with a higher number of stress behaviors per session (p = 0.039). There was a significant relationship between stress and affiliative session behaviors (pConclusions:Results show that therapy dogs did not have significantly increased physiological stress responses, nor did they exhibit significantly more stress-related behaviors than affiliative-related behaviors, while participating in AAIs in pediatric oncology settings. The significant relationship between canine cortisol and behavior, thus strengthening the argument for the use of cortisol in canine well-being research. This study discusses the importance of further investigation to confirm these findings, which may lead to enhanced canine involvement in hospital settings

How can CSA farmers in Vermont effectively incorporate low-income members of the community?

This paper investigates the participation of members of the low-income community in community-building on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in Vermont. It asks the question, “How Can CSA Farmers in Vermont Effectively Incorporate Members of the Low-Income Community?” This research seeks to answer this question through phenomenological inquiry of 10 Vermont CSA farmers using an interview questionnaire. In addition, data was collected by observation of sessions involving the collaboration of farmer, community-based organizations, and members of the low-income population to incorporate these members into Vermont CSA farms. This research revealed that in order to effectively incorporate members of the low-income community, Vermont CSA farmers need to collaborate with community-based and other non-profit organizations, view the low-income community as a resource, and enlist the support of the entire community at large and become a part of a “food justice” movement

How can CSA farmers in Vermont effectively incorporate low-income members of the community?

This paper investigates the participation of members of the low-income community in community-building on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in Vermont. It asks the question, “How Can CSA Farmers in Vermont Effectively Incorporate Members of the Low-Income Community?” This research seeks to answer this question through phenomenological inquiry of 10 Vermont CSA farmers using an interview questionnaire. In addition, data was collected by observation of sessions involving the collaboration of farmer, community-based organizations, and members of the low-income population to incorporate these members into Vermont CSA farms. This research revealed that in order to effectively incorporate members of the low-income community, Vermont CSA farmers need to collaborate with community-based and other non-profit organizations, view the low-income community as a resource, and enlist the support of the entire community at large and become a part of a “food justice” movement

Empathy as an Outcome of Learning Harp Therapy

Empathy involves the capacity to perceive, identify and relate to the emotions of other people, and is central to the therapeutic process. Empathic awareness requires that a bedside musician recognize how voice, gesture and facial expressions communicate people\u27s needs and wants. The degree to which empathy can or cannot be taught is an important issue for those who teach music healing courses and mentor potential harp therapists