Animal-assisted Stress Reduction Programs in Higher Education
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Animal-assisted Stress Reduction Programs in Higher Education Julie M. Haggerty 1 & Megan Kiely Mueller 2
# Springer Science+Business Media New York 2017
Abstract This study investigated the prevalence of increasingly popular animal-assisted stress relief programs at higher education institutions across the United States. Although research on animal-assisted programs is increasing, there is still a lack of information documenting implementation of these programs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence, structure, and policies around animal-assisted programs. Data from 68 schools across the U.S. revealed that animal visitation at higher education institutions is popular, and some schools have instituted formalized programs. However, there is an overall lack of knowledge regarding standards and requirements that would increase the safety and effectiveness of these programs. Keywords Animal-assisted interventions . Animal-assisted activities . Animal-assisted stress relief programs . Human-animal interaction . Animal visitation
Julie M. Haggerty holds a B.A. in History from Assumption College and an M.S. in Animals and Public Policy from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Her special interests include companion animal welfare and the human-animal bond. Megan Kiely Mueller is the Elizabeth Arnold Stevens Junior Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, and she is a senior fellow at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. She is also Associate Director of the Tufts Institute for Human-Animal Interaction and a faculty fellow in the Center for Animals and Public Policy. Dr. Mueller holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. and Ph.D. in child study and human development from Tufts University. Her research focuses on the role of human-animal relationships in promoting human and animal health and well-being.
* Julie M. Haggerty [email protected] Megan Kiely Mueller [email protected]
1
Center for Animals and Public Policy, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Grafton, MA, USA
2
Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Grafton, MA, USA
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The college years can be an especially exciting and memorable experience for students of varying ages and backgrounds. However, an increasing number of college students are coping with depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges as a result of multiple factors such as family dysfunction, experimentation with drugs and alcohol (Kitzrow 2003), pressure from expectations of high performance (Hirsch and Ellis 1996), or stress from examination periods (Reynolds and Rabschutz 2011). Estimates indicate that 85% of college-age (typically 18– 25 years) students suffer from elevated stress levels, over 50% experience moderate to severe depression, 32% screen positive for other clinically significant mental health concerns, and up to 11% report havi
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