Man’s best friend helps children with mental health problems in Barcelona, ​​Spain

A two-year study has shown the benefits of therapy dogs for children with mental health problems.

Twenty-three young people under the age of 13 from the Day Hospital of the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona participated in the sessions, assisted by professionals from the Center for Assisted Therapy with Dogs (CTAC).

The children were autistic, had behavioral disorders, or suffered from excessive anxiety.

Hospital Clinic mental health nurse Elias Guillén said: “We found that 75% of emotional incidents with children occurred on days when there was no dog therapy.”

Sessions were held weekly with 45 minutes assigned to each patient.

“On the days that the dogs visited us, there was a different environment that allowed us to assess the children much more easily,” added Guillén.

The hospital’s head of youth psychiatry, Dr Astrid Morer, said: “It’s amazing how children deal with situations like an exam with a dog, which they wouldn’t have done without bonding with the animal.”

The CTAC selects the dogs that are tested to see if they would be suitable for therapeutic tasks.

In the Barcelona study, which was supported by the ‘La Caixa’ Foundation and the animal feed manufacturer Purina, all kinds of breeds were used, from large to small.

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