Examining the Effectiveness of EAL
- Conditions
- Trauma
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Equine Assisted Learning
- Registration Number
- NCT05579717
- Lead Sponsor
- McMaster University
- Brief Summary
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.).
- Detailed 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.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 40
- English-speaking adults;
- Currently or previously employed as public safety personnel (e.g., police officer, fire fighter, paramedic, healthcare worker, emergency dispatcher, correctional officer);
- Reside in Saskatchewan;
- Meet diagnostic criteria for having experienced a Criterion A traumatic event;
- Able to provide written informed consent;
- Have access to a smart phone, tablet, or computer with a working microphone and camera; and
- Have access to consistent and reliable internet.
Exclusion:
- Meet/met current/past diagnostic criteria for several psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neurological conditions;
- History of severe head trauma with loss of consciousness or history of traumatic brain injury;
- Have previously completed at least half of the EAL curriculum at Cartier Farms.
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- CROSSOVER
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Equine Assisted Learning group Equine Assisted Learning Participants in this group will receive 16 sessions of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL), facilitated by a trained clinician at Cartier Farms.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method PTSD symptomatology 20 weeks Changes in performance on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 80 with higher scores denoting higher PTSD symptomatology.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Moral injury 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Moral Injury Assessment - Public Safety Personnel at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 17 and 102 with higher scores denoting higher moral injury.
Dissociation 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Multiscale Dissociation Index at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 120 with higher scores denoting higher dissociative symptomatology.
Emotion regulation 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 36 and 180 with higher scores denoting poorer emotion regulation.
Exposure to childhood trauma Completed once at baseline Baseline description of trauma experienced in childhood based on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, which is a 28-item checklist where more endorsed traumatic experiences indicates more exposure to childhood trauma.
Alcohol use disorder symptomatology 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 40 with higher scores denoting higher AUD symptomatology.
Cannabis use disorder symptomatology 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 32 with higher scores denoting higher CUD symptomatology.
Substance use disorder symptomatology 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Drug Use Disorder Identification Test at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 44 with higher scores denoting higher SUD symptomatology.
Resilience 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Brief Resilience Scale at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 6 and 30 with higher scores denoting higher resilience.
Self-compassion 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Self Compassion Scale at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 26 and 130 with higher scores denoting higher self-compassion.
Health and disability 20 weeks Changes in performance on World Health Organization's Disability Assessment Schedule 12 at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 100 with higher scores denoting greater disability.
Disability 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Sheehan Disability Scale at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 44 with higher scores denoting greater disability.
Work functioning and productivity 20 weeks Changes in performance on Lam's Employment and Productivity Scale at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 28 with higher scores denoting more severe work impairment.
Mental health symptomatology 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (structured interview) at pre, post, and follow-up.
Depression, anxiety, and stress symptomatology 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 42 with higher scores denoting higher depression, anxiety, and/or stress symptomatology.
Substance involvement 20 weeks Changes in performance on the World Health Organization's Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Test at pre, post, and follow-up. Each question on the ASSIST has a checklist set of responses to choose from to measure substances used in the past, and each response from questions 2 to 7 has a numerical score. Higher scores indicate more significant substance involvement.
Health complaints 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Physical Symptoms Questionnaire at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 33 with higher scores denoting more health complaints.
Sleep quality 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 21 with higher scores denoting poorer sleep quality.
Body awareness 20 weeks Changes in performance on the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness - Version 2 at pre, post, and follow-up. Scores can range between 0 and 185 with higher scores denoting greater body awareness.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Cartier Farms
🇨🇦Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada