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The challenge of pet therapy in systemic sclerosis: evidence for an impact on pain, anxiety, neuroticism and social interaction

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

 

  1. Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology & Scleroderma Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy. ginevrafiori@hotmail.com
  2. Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health, University of Florence, Italy.
  3. Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology & Scleroderma Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
  4. Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology & Scleroderma Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
  5. Veterinary Service of Azienda Sanitaria Locale 10, Florence, Italy.
  6. Italian Association “Utilizzo Cani D’Assistenza” (AIUCA society), Italy.
  7. Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology & Scleroderma Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
  8. Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology & Scleroderma Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
  9. Italian Association “Utilizzo Cani D’Assistenza” (AIUCA society), Italy.
  10. Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, and Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
  11. Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health, University of Florence, Italy.
  12. Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology & Scleroderma Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
  13. General Director of the Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
  14. Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Rheumatology & Scleroderma Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.

CER10370
2018 Vol.36, N°4 ,Suppl.113
PI 0135, PF 0141
Treatment

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PMID: 30277859 [PubMed]

Received: 26/02/2017
Accepted : 09/01/2018
In Press: 20/09/2018
Published: 30/09/2018

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of animal-assisted intervention (AAI), a complementary support to traditional therapies focused on the interaction between animals and human beings, in improving psychological trait, anxiety and pain in a cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.
METHODS:
42 SSc patients, undergoing iloprost intravenous infusion, were divided in three groups: 1) 14 patients submitted to 20 AAI sessions; 2) 14 patients engaged in alternative social activity (control group 1 – C1); and 3) 14 patients without any alternative activity (control group 2 – C2). All patients underwent Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the State-anxiety (STAI-S) and emotional faces at the beginning (s0) and at the end (s1) of each single session, while General Anxiety State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R), the Social Phobia Scale (SPS), the Toronto Alexythymia Scale (TAS-20), the Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ) were administered at baseline (t0) and at the end of the project (t1).
RESULTS:
AAI group showed a significant decrease of the anxiety state level in respect to the two control groups (p<0.001). VAS scale resulted lower both in AAI (p < 0.001) and C1 group (p<0.01). Moreover, STAI-T and TAS scores were significantly reduced in AAI group (p<0.001). TCQ scale showed that patients treated with AAI, compared to control group C2, had greater capacity to avoid unpleasant and unwanted thoughts (p<0.05). In AAI group, the EPQ-R test revealed an enhancement of extroversion trait compared to both control groups (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:
Our data show that AAI significantly reduces pain perception, anxiety, neuroticism and ameliorates patients’ social interaction, therefore it may be a useful to allow a better compliance to traditional therapies.

Rheumatology Article