Date
2-28-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Cynthia Edins
Keywords
Animal-Assisted Therapy, AAT, animal-assisted intervention, AAI, green care, substance use, substance abuse, care farming, qualitative
Disciplines
Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Papoojian, Philip M., "A Qualitative Look at the Impact of Animal-Assisted Therapy on the Lived Experiences of Recovery Home Residents with Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6504.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6504
Abstract
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a commonly used intervention strategy for addressing psychiatric disorders comorbid with substance use in Europe but is a rarely used intervention in North America. As substance abuse continues to rise in contemporary Western culture, particularly in the United States, new interventions, including AAT, need to be considered. Cannabis abuse and opioid abuse are often comorbid with other psychiatric disorders such as alcoholism, general anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and PTSD. The combination of these factors can stunt developmental processes. This study was designed as a qualitative exploration of the lived experiences of male substance users living in a residential home that uses AAT as an intervention in addition to group, individual, and medication-assisted therapy (MAT). Participants were recruited from the residential population of the recovery home and took part in livestock rescue and other farm programs where they learned how caring for someone or something else can simultaneously improve their own lives. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews using a questionnaire and conducted onsite at the residential recovery home. The researcher consolidated the information into a descriptive narrative of the phenomenon described from the residents’ reports of what they experienced, how they experienced it, and the impact on their recovery. In this study, it is shown that working with animals in a long-term setting can provide a positive lived experience, enhanced therapeutic value, and can create an opportunity for clients to form bonds with the animals.
