Bird-assisted treatment in vulnerable people: A literature review

Abstract

Abstract Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) practices have diversified following one of the earliest uses of animals in therapy, as described by Levinson ( 1962 ). Since the 1960s, evidence of the effectiveness of AAT can be found in the scientific literature across various populations. Different species of animals have been used for AAT, while literature reviews specific to dogs or horses can be found, there is currently no literature review that specifically focuses on bird-assisted treatments. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the existing literature on bird-assisted treatments in diverse populations. We conducted a comprehensive search for the keywords “animal assisted therapy,” “animal assisted intervention,” “zootherapy,” “thérapie assistée par l’animal,” “intervention assistée par l’animal,” “zoothérapie,” “bird,” and “oiseau” in the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and PsycInfo databases, covering the period from 1975 to October 2023. A total of six articles were eligible for inclusion in our literature review, four on older individuals and two conducted within various psychiatric departments. These studies identified two distinct forms of interventions: individual and shared room cages. Irrespective of the intervention type, the primary findings demonstrated not only positive effects on depression levels and social well-being among older individuals but also favorable outcomes for psychopathological symptoms and social life among individuals with psychiatric disorders. The use of birds can be a strategy to implement AAT in institutional settings where managing larger animals or those requiring more complex care would be challenging. These results lead us to recommend bird-mediated interventions to promote well-being and reduce psychological distress among populations requiring this type of assistance.