Evaluation of animal-assisted therapy to boost workplace mental health
First round SIRA Recovery Boost recipient, St Luke’s Preschool, benefit from the addition of Harvey the Labradoodle in an animal-assisted therapy program.
The SIRA Recovery Boost program provides grants of up to $50,000 towards mental health projects that encourage early help-seeking, support recovery, and reduce stigma.
SIRA granted St Luke’s Preschool $20,820 in the first round of the Recovery Boost program in 2019, with an aim to determine the effectiveness of therapy dogs on workplace mental health.
Animal-assisted interventions are designed to provide complementary care to people with physical and mental health disorders and are gradually being introduced to a variety of healthcare settings. While becoming more popular over the past 20 years, there have been limited randomised control trials to assess this type of intervention.
Harvey was introduced into St Luke’s Preschool as a young puppy undergoing training to become a therapy dog attending the preschool 2 to 3 days a week. Using a mixed-methods approach, the initiative was evaluated pre-therapy dog, 10 weeks post-therapy dog, and 12-month post-therapy dog.
The study revealed that many employees enjoyed having Harvey in their workplace, his presence created a connection point with 35% believing he had brought them closer as a team.
In addition, 41% of employees expressed that having Harvey in the workplace benefited their health and wellbeing, with individuals commenting that his presence helped manage anxiety.
Coincidently, due to the nature of the environment, Harvey’s presence was also beneficial for the children, particularly those with special needs or those experiencing separation anxiety.
A second evaluation is planned after 24-months to determine longer-term impacts.
Read the full report PDF, 1043.19 KB from the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research.
Learn more about the Recovery Boost Program and previous recipients.