Summary of the Systematic Review

ARTICLE CITATION

A Comparison of Equine-Assisted Intervention and Conventional Play-Based Early Intervention for Mother–Child Dyads with Insecure Attachment

Andrea Beetz, MA, PhD, Nora Winkler, MS, Henri Julius, PhD, Kerstin UvnäS-Moberg, PhD & Kurt Kotrschal , PhD

Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention (2015)

ARTICLE DETAILS

Description

Early interventions aim at promoting a good mother–child relationship as basis for a good socio-emotional development, especially in high-risk populations, and at correcting already unfavorable patterns of interaction and are common today. Insecure attachment, both of the child and of the mother, has been identified as a risk factor for early regulation disorders and further child development. Based on accumulating evidence of effectiveness of animal-assisted interventions, we implemented an Equine-Assisted Intervention (EAI) as an early intervention approach for mother–child-dyads and investigated its effects in comparison to a conventional play-based early intervention (PBI) in a randomized controlled trial.

Profession 

Occupational Therapy 

Location 

Europe 

Intervention Terminology

EAT

Study Design 

Controlled experimental study

Sample

20 children

Age/Population

12-24 months 

Assessment/ Outcome measure tools

Author dev. pre/post test quest., Adult attachment Projective, Ainsworth Strange Situation Test, Child Behavior Checklist I1/2 - 5; Maternal Attitue Towards The Own Child Quest., CARE Index

Result Category 

Attachement, wellbeing

Dosage/Description of Intervention

45 min x 8 weeks