Exploring the Effectiveness of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy on the Emotional Regulation and Mental Wellbeing of Service Users in an Inpatient Setting Who Have Received a Diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 进行中（未招募）
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 6
- 试验地点
- 2
- 主要终点
- Perception of Connection to Others
研究概览
简要总结
The purpose of this research is for the multi-disciplinary team at an inpatient psychiatric hospital to investigate more innovative ways to engage service users in order to promote wellbeing and emotional regulation. In particular, there is a focus on engaging patients who do not routinely engage with the Psychology Team. As such, we are aiming to explore the effectiveness of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) with the service users on a specialist Personality Disorder ward.
EAP is the deliberate inclusion of an equine (e.g. horse, alpaca) amongst a therapy team to improve patient outcomes. This therapy team includes a mental health professional and certified equine specialist, along with equine(s) and client(s). EAP can offer specific psychotherapeutic treatment goals such as addressing trauma and emotion dysregulation. The presence of an equine removes the need for verbal communication, which allows for non-verbal approaches that support self-development; identifying and discussing the feelings, emotions and behaviours generated through interaction with the horse. The presence of equine also provides a unique opportunity for traumatised individuals to build trust with other sentient beings that value connection, safety, and trust.
These specific psychotherapeutic treatment goals are especially relevant for those with a diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD). Service users with EUPD present with complex mental health difficulties, often with problems with emotional regulation, attachment, and self-harm.
This research will use a qualitative, single arm design in which all participants (inpatients who have received an Emotionally Unstable personality Disorder diagnosis) engage in a novel psychotherapeutic intervention (6 sessions of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy). Their experiences of this psychotherapeutic intervention will be explored using semi-structured interviews. Researchers and participants will collaborate in using Thematic Analysis to analyse the content of these interviews.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Na
- 干预模型
- Single Group
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- None
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 65 Years（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- Female
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •Inpatient on the ward (name of ward not included for confidentiality).
- •Has received a diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder.
- •Since participants will be under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act, they must have the required Section 17 therapy leave at the time of recruitment.
- •Service users will have been assessed for their capacity to consent by the Multi-Disciplinary Team and deemed to have capacity at the time of recruitment.
- •All participants on the ward are female and between 18-65.
排除标准
- •If the Multi-Disciplinary Team's assessment is that they do not have capacity to consent.
- •Those who do not have the relevant Section 17 leave.
- •Patients who have a planned discharge date that is before the intended end date of the research.
- •Patients who have previous experience with Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.
研究组 & 干预措施
Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy
All participants will attend 6 half-day sessions of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy. This is a type of psychotherapy in which the professional(s) and the client(s) are joined by an equine. This will be conducted at a specialist clinic by a member of their facilitator team. There will also be hospital staff on-hand to provide support if needed, but they will not be involved in the therapy directly.
The therapy will involve a group session (1 hour and 15 minutes long), and individual sessions (30 minutes per participant).
干预措施: Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (Behavioral)
结局指标
主要结局
Perception of Connection to Others
时间窗: From enrolment to 1 week after end of last Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy session. This should be a maximum of 8 weeks in total.
This will be measured via semi structured interview questions and the thematic analysis of participants' responses. It will focus on whether participants notice a difference in how they are able to connect with others following therapeutic intervention and, if so, what that change is and what they think caused it.
Perception of Emotional Regulation
时间窗: From enrolment to 1 week after end of last Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy session. This should be a maximum of 8 weeks in total.
This will be measured via semi structured interview questions and the thematic analysis of participants' responses. It will focus on whether participants notice a difference in how they are able to regulate their emotions following therapeutic intervention and, if so, what that change is and why participants think that change has happened.
Perception of Connection to Others
时间窗: From enrolment to 1 week after end of last Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy session. This should be a maximum of 8 weeks in total.
This will be measured via semi structured interview questions and the thematic analysis of participants' responses. It will focus on whether participants notice a difference in how they are able to connect with others following therapeutic intervention and, if so, what that change is and what they think caused it.
General Experience of Therapeutic Intervention
时间窗: From first therapy session to one week after the last Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy session. Up to 7 weeks in total.
This will be measured via semi structured interview questions and the thematic analysis of participants' responses. It will focus on how the participants felt about the therapy e.g. what they liked/disliked about it and which aspects were meaningful to them.
Perception of how Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy compares to other therapies.
时间窗: From first therapy session to one week after the last Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy session. Up to 7 weeks in total.
This will be measured via semi structured interview questions and the thematic analysis of participants' responses. It will focus on how the participants felt this therapy compared to other therapies they have experience e.g. In what ways is it better/worse?
次要结局
- Intervention Retention Rate(From start of first Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy session to end of last Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy session. The Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy runs for 6 weeks in total.)
- Intervention Attendance(From start of first Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy session to end of last Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy session. These run for 6 weeks in total.)
研究者
Lewis Byrne
Assistant Psychologist
Cygnet Healthcare