Australian Community and Health Professionals Perceptions of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy.

P Stapleton,K T Grimmett,Jose C Adsuar

doi:10.1155/2021/2217761

Abstract

Mental health conditions are increasingly prevalent in the Australian population, and despite the large evidence-based support for contemporary treatments, there are barriers which inhibit their efficacy. Thus, there is a perceived need for therapists to consider other therapeutic options which have potential to enhance treatment outcomes. There is increasing acceptance for complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) among general practitioners and clients/general community. Specifically, more than 70% of Australians utilize CAM. Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is an underutilized, culturally sensitive, complementary therapy, which has the potential to mitigate barriers of conventional therapy. The present study aimed to determine the level of knowledge about and general acceptance of EAP as a treatment for general psychopathology symptomology within community members and health professionals. The current sample included 144 community members and 55 health professionals, all with Australian citizenship. Data analysis comprised the independent t-test and two hierarchical multiple regressions. Results indicated that community members are significantly more accepting of EAP as a treatment compared to health professionals. Of the predictors tested, higher social support and openness within community members were significant predictors of accepting perceptions, and rural location was the only significant predictor for health professional's accepting perceptions of EAP. This is one of the first studies to investigate perceptions of EAP outside the EAP field and through comparison between community members and health professionals. The current study identifies the need for future research to further investigate perceptions of EAP among Australian health professionals.

Highlights

Introduction e World HealthOrganization [1] identifies mental health as ones’ well-being status, characterized by the capacity to cope with typical life stressors, work productively, and contribute to their community, as well as the realization of ones’ own potential
Future research needs to assess the degree to which bioethical principles are respected by health professionals in relation to equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) in a larger sample
E fourth hypothesis stated that lower levels of perceived social support, as measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), would significantly predict more accepting perceptions of EAP in community members. is hypothesis was not met, and the results found higher levels of perceived social support to be a significant predictor of accepting perceptions of EAP in community members. is hypothesis was originally formed in alignment with Irvine [36] who indicates that individuals with lower levels of social support are most likely to benefit from EAP, as a result of its reduced reliance upon direct interpersonal communication and interaction with the practitioner

Summary

Introduction

Introduction e World HealthOrganization [1] identifies mental health as ones’ well-being status, characterized by the capacity to cope with typical life stressors, work productively, and contribute to their community, as well as the realization of ones’ own potential. E Australia Bureau of Statistics 2014-2015 national report identified four million Australians (17.5%) as having a mental health condition [2]. The recent 2018 Australia Bureau of Statistics national report found one in five (20.1%), that is, 4.8 million Australians, was suffering a mental health condition. The lifetime incidents of mental health conditions in the total Australian population are 45.5% [2]. Mental health issues permeate the wider community. E National Mental Health Commission [3] identified the cost of mental health issues in Australia as $4,000 AUD for each individual, per annum, which is a total of $60 billion AUD for the whole population per annum.

Methods

Results

Conclusion