Evidence mapPaperPMID 41998672Full record

ArticleBMC complementary medicine and therapies2026

Effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy in adolescent psychiatric inpatients: a multicenter clinical trial.

Maylos Rodrigo-Claverol, Marta Manuel-Canals, Luís Lucio Lobato-Rincón, Maite Roman-Casenave, Natalia Rodríguez-Criado, Esther Rodrigo-Claverol, Yvette Miró-Bernaus, Elisabet Musull-Dulcet, Israel Gozález-García, Josep Pifarre

Registry-linked trialAbstract readControlled Clinical TrialMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06414850 (Efficacy Study of an Animal-assisted Intervention in Adolescents Admitted to Acute Psychiatric Units), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06414850 nacompletednot on this map

Efficacy Study of an Animal-assisted Intervention in Adolescents Admitted to Acute Psychiatric Units: Mentaldog Multicenter Study.

TypeinterventionalSponsorFundacio d'Investigacio en Atencio Primaria Jordi Gol i GurinaRan2020 to 2022Enrolled178ConditionsMental Health IssueArmsAnimal Assisted Therapy (AAT)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Maylos Rodrigo-ClaverolPrimary Health Care, Institut Català de la Salut, Lleida, Spain. drodrigo.lleida.ics@gencat.cat.
Marta Manuel-CanalsSanta Maria University Hospital, Lleida, Spain.
Luís Lucio Lobato-RincónAnimal-Assisted Intervention Office, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain.
Maite Roman-CasenaveMataró Hospital of Consorci Sanitari del Maresme UHA, Mataró, Spain.
Natalia Rodríguez-CriadoHospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain.
Esther Rodrigo-ClaverolPrimary Health Care, Institut Català de la Salut, Lleida, Spain.
Yvette Miró-BernausPrimary Health Care, Institut Català de la Salut, Lleida, Spain.
Elisabet Musull-DulcetITCAN Dog Assisted Interventions, Cabrils, Spain.
Israel Gozález-GarcíaAnimal-Assisted Intervention Office, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain.
Josep PifarreBiomedical Research Institute of Lleida, Lleida, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe number of adolescents hospitalized with mental health problems, which are vulnerable and under a stressful situation, has increased in the last years. Non-pharmacological therapies, including Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), have been proposed as complementary approaches to current psychiatric interventions and contribute to the comprehensive care of patient; however, current studies are inconclusive and further studies are recommended. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of AAT in improving self-efficacy and reducing anxiety symptoms among adolescents in acute psychiatric units, assess healthcare professionals’ perceptions, and determine participant satisfaction.

methodsA multicenter, non-randomized clinical trial was conducted in the Acute Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit from three Hospitals. The Control Group (CG) had 1 session 1 h per week, and the Experimental Group (EG) also had 1 session 1 h per week with the additional assistance of the therapy dog, during 2 weeks. We used the General Self-Efficacy Scale and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire (STAI) before and after the intervention, and collected the Participant’s satisfaction post intervention.

resultsA total of 178 participants were included in the study (64 CG and 114 EG). A significant improvement in self-efficacy was obtained in the EG compared to the CG. And a statistically significant improvement in anxiety (STAI-State) was observed in the EG, but the difference was not significant when comparing both groups. Participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the intervention.

conclusionsOur findings suggest that AAT may improve self-efficacy in adolescents with psychiatric conditions. However, no significant differences were observed between groups regarding anxiety levels. This study aims to provide innovation and research in a little studied area that may be useful as a complement to pharmacological treatment in the adolescent population. The clinical trial was retrospectively registered in the “Clinical Trials.gov”, registration number: NCT06414850 (05/16/2024).

Indexed as

Animal Assisted TherapyAnxietyMental DisordersAdolescentAnimalsDogsFemaleHumansInpatientsMalePatient SatisfactionSelf EfficacyAdolescent psychiatryAnimal-assisted therapyHospitalMental healthNonpharmaceutical interventions

Identifiers

PMID41998672
PMCPMC13217854

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.