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Creative Treatments for Depression. Samantha Henry Lindsay Niccolai Michelle Ocampo. Introduction. Psychotherapy and antidepressant medication are the two most common treatment methods for depression. Current treatments for depression provide limited therapeutic benefit.
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Creative Treatments for Depression Samantha Henry Lindsay Niccolai Michelle Ocampo
Introduction • Psychotherapy and antidepressant medication are the two most common treatment methods for depression. • Current treatments for depression provide limited therapeutic benefit. • This study aimed to identify different treatment therapies for depressed mood without the side effects or costs of antidepressant medication or the assumption of access to psychotherapy. S
Methods There were 30 participants in each treatment group: • animal-assisted therapy (live animals) • stuffed animals (not taxidermied) • control (sitting alone in a similar room) M
Control M
Methods Procedure • Participants completed the BDI-II questionnaire at Time 1 • Then they were randomly assigned to one of the three treatment conditions • Participants were exposed to the treatment condition for an hour • Participants completed the BDI-II questionnaire again after exposure to treatment at Time 2 • Upon completion of the BDI-II questionnaire at Time 2, participants were given monetary compensation M
Hypotheses • µ1 = Control • µ2 = Treatment: Stuffed animals • µ3 = Treatment: Animal-assisted Therapy • H0: µ1 = µ2 =µ3 • The animal-assisted therapy will have a greater reduction in depression scores from Time 1 to Time 2 than the control and stuffed animals conditions (H1: µ3 > µ2 and µ3> µ1). • The stuffed animals condition will have a greater reduction in depression scores than control, but not greater than animal-assisted therapy (H1: µ2 > µ1 and µ2 < µ3). • The control condition will not have a significant reduction in depression scores from Time 1 to Time 2 (H1 : mean at Time 1= mean at Time 2). M
Treatments and Reduction in Depression To analyze the differences in the treatment groups in reduction in depression scores from Time 1 to Time 2 (H1: µ3 > µ2> µ1), we ran a one-way ANOVA. L
Reduction in Depression Scores for the Treatment Groups The one-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference between treatment groups, F(2, 87) = ∞, p <.0001. Fisher’s LSD indicated all group differences were significant. L
Mean Reduction in Depression Scores for the Treatment Groups
Power Analysis Given 30 subjects in each of our treatment groups, these analyses have a power > .999 at alpha = .05. L
Conclusion of Findings • These results demonstrate the efficacy of animal-assisted therapy as a treatment for depression. • Stuffed animal therapy was also more effective for depressive symptoms than control. • Limitations with the present study: • Animal phobias • Animal allergies S
Future Directions The present study’s results could be applied to a variety of contexts and populations. • Graduate students • Third world countries S