Ethical Aspects in Animal Assisted Therapy in Psychiatry

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 95-95
Author(s):  
Oana Maria Isailă ◽  
◽  
Sorin Hostiuc ◽  
George Cristian Curcă ◽  
◽  
...  

"Animal-assisted therapy is a complementary therapy in which an animal that meets certain well-defined criteria is an integral part of the therapeutic process. It has proven its positive contribution in treating disorders such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, phobias, suicidal ideation. Human-animal interaction lowers stress, anxiety and increases quality of life. The therapy animal, in order to have the expected motivating role, must have a balanced personality and want to interact with people. In this sense, it goes through training programs based on obedience and desensitization to certain stimuli. This peculiar context raises ethical issues for the patient and the animal co-therapist, which requires setting boundaries. Although the legal framework sets out the elements on animal welfare, ethical issues that arise for animals are: the animal species that may be involved, limiting their freedom, endangering their welfare, the risk of exploitation (which can lead to their fatigue and burn-out), the type of interaction -which must be voluntary, bidirectional. Regarding the patient, in addition to the aspects related to beneficence and nonmaleficence, there are issues in obtaining an adequate informed consent (targeting possible allergies, some religious / cultural beliefs incompatible with this type of therapy). Thus, animal-assisted therapy must take into account the benefits of both parties involved, without instrumentalizing the animals. "

Author(s):  
Markus Beckmann ◽  
Stefan Schaltegger

Sustainable development is about meeting the needs of current and future generations while operating in the safe ecological space of planetary boundaries. Against this background, companies can contribute to sustainability in both positive and negative ways. In a world of scarce resources, the positive contribution of businesses is to create value for diverse stakeholders (i.e., goods in the actual sense of good services and things with value) without social shortfalls or ecological overshooting with regard to planetary boundaries. Yet, when value-creation processes cause negative social or ecological externalities, companies create disvalue for current or future stakeholders, thus undermining sustainable development. Sustainability in business therefore aims at the integrative management of value creation and disvalue mitigation. Various institutions, such as sustainability laws as well as quasi-regulatory and voluntary sustainability standards, aim at providing an enabling environment in this regard yet are often insufficient. Corporate sustainability therefore calls for proactive management. Neither value nor disvalue fall from heaven but are rather co-created or caused through the interaction with stakeholders. Transforming from unsustainability to sustainability thus requires transforming the underlying relational arrangements. Here, market and non-market stakeholder relations need to be distinguished. In markets, companies transact with customers, employees, suppliers, and financiers who typically have voluntary exchange relationships with the firm. As a result, stakeholders can use the exit option when the relationship causes them harm. Companies therefore need to know and respect their value-creation partners, their potential contributions, and above all their needs. Sustainability can influence these market relationships in two ways. First, as sustainability addresses environmental, social, and ethical issues that are otherwise often overlooked, sustainability can relate to specific goals and motivations that stakeholders pursue when they care about these matters. Second, sustainability can be linked to transaction-specific particularities. This can be the case when sustainability features lead to information asymmetries, higher transaction costs, or resource dependencies. Non-market relationships, however, can differ in that stakeholders are involuntarily affected by the firm. In many cases, such as environmental pollution, stakeholders like local communities experience disvalue but cannot simply walk away. From a sustainability perspective, giving voice to non-market stakeholders through dialogue and participation is therefore crucial to identify early-on potential issues where companies cause disvalue. Such a proactive dialogue does not necessarily present a constraint that limits value creation in the market. Giving a voice to non-market stakeholders can also help create innovations and mobilize valuable resources such as knowledge, legitimacy, and partnership. The key idea is to find solutions that create value not only for market stakeholders but also for a larger circle, including non-market stakeholders as well. Such stakeholder business cases for sustainability aim at the synergistic integration of value creation and disvalue mitigation.


Author(s):  
Marta Vecchiato ◽  
Chiara Sacchi ◽  
Alessandra Simonelli ◽  
Nicola Purgato

Autism spectrum disorder refers to a group of diseases determined by multiple conditions and primarily defined on the basis of behavioral patterns. The literature and guidelines provide indications regarding adequate treatments, underlying how psychologically and behaviorally structured interventions, should be considered the best programs. Anyway, there is still a scarcity of studies evidencing the effectiveness of therapeutic and developmental approaches situated in a psychodynamic framework and researches aimed to evaluate the quality of psychodynamic interventions on autism are rare. The present study illustrate a qualitative research on the single-case intervention with an autistic adolescent, admitted to the Educational - Rehabilitation Centre Antenna 112. The Centre bases its intervention on a specific psychodynamic approach, Lacanian Psychoanalysis, named Pratique à Plusieurs. The efficacy of the psychodynamic intervention is evaluated by monitoring the therapeutic process with the adolescent from his admission. The evaluation took place in three different stages of the intervention: at the beginning of the treatment, after 6 months and after 12 months. In particular, the level of adaptive behaviors (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale), Social Communication (Social Communication Questionnaire), and the seriousness of behavioral patterns, specific for the autism disorders (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) have been assessed. Results highlight that the psychodynamic setting of the Centre and the therapeutic intervention, which takes place in it, foster an improvement of adaptive behavior, such as life skills and socialization. Limitations of the present study and clinical implications regarding residential psychodynamic treatments in cases of autism disorders are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 780-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radosław Stupak ◽  
Krzysztof Dyga

The article reconstructs postpsychiatry’s core propositions and briefly describes its theoretical background and assumptions. It also presents chosen aspects of postmodern psychotherapy, which seem to be in many ways similar to postpsychiatry’s ideas. Although they are drawn from different inspiration, postpsychiatry and postmodern psychotherapy seem to come to similar conclusions, especially regarding the role of the patient in the therapeutic process, the meaning of psychiatric diagnosis, and the importance of the institutional, cultural, and social contexts in mental health practice and research. The paper also aims to place postpsychiatry and postmodern psychotherapy in a Polish context, focusing on the ethical challenges faced by psychiatry and showing that some of postpsychiatry’s ideas and solutions to contemporary problems were already present in the Polish psychiatric literature of the 20th century. It also contains a brief description of the Polish social and historical context of psychiatry, as well as key aspects of the Polish legal system that relate to mental health and seem to reflect the nature of biomedical explanations of mental distress. It concludes that the model of psychiatric care postulated by “postmodern” approaches seems more ethical and scientifically and philosophically grounded and promises better treatment results than the “traditional” biomedical model.


Author(s):  
Nicola Claire Pellew

Research studies report that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) may be an effective alternative method for treating autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the presence of many methodological weaknesses and the limited replication of such studies have resulted in divided opinion on the actual effectiveness of AAT for treating ASD, and much hesitancy surrounding its use. Reliable clinically based studies must be conducted if this uncertainty is to be put to rest. Because these studies require the participation of physicians who are often hesitant to participate, it is suggested that leadership interventions be used as tools to encourage their participation in AAT research. This chapter aims to discuss the necessity for physician participation, the reasons for the lack of clinician participation in such research, and recommendations for encouraging physician and policymaker participation in specifically targeted research studies.


2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S.P. Giles

Gospel and constitutional imperatives: the right to life In the Republic of South Africa, Christians are called to live out gospel imperatives within the legal framework of the Constitution. Ethical issues about the right to life are considered from the perspectives of selected gospel and constitutional imperatives. Gospel imperatives impose themselves as a consequence of Christian discipleship. These are many and diverse, both explicit and implicit. Christian vocation, discipleship, witness and perseverance, are foundational and integral to the praxis of Christian daily living. These facets of Christian life are illustrated by the selected gospel imperatives, “Follow me” (Matt. 4:19 and synoptic parallels), “Love God, and your neighbour as yourself” (Matt. 22:34-40 and synoptic parallels), and “Take up your cross” (Matt. 10:38 and synoptic parallels). The central theoretical argument of this article is driven from a reformed ethical perspective. Gospel imperatives have priority over constitutional imperatives since gospel imperatives are of divine origin and constitutional imperatives of human origin. Acknowledgement of these priorities informs the Christian ethical perspective on the right to life and on abortion.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shylaja Srinivasan ◽  
Julia O’Rourke ◽  
Sara Bersche Golas ◽  
Ann Neumeyer ◽  
Madhusmita Misra

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have several risk factors for low bone mineral density. The gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet is a complementary therapy sometimes used in ASD that raises concerns for the adequacy of calcium and vitamin D intake. This study evaluated the prescribing practices of calcium and vitamin D supplements and the practice of checking 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels by providers in 100 children with ASD, 50 of whom were on the GFCF diet. Fifty-two percent and 46% of children on the GFCF diet were on some form of vitamin D and calcium supplements, respectively, compared to 18% and 14% of those not on this diet. Twenty-four percent of children in the GFCF group had a documented 25(OH)D level compared to none in the non-GFCF group. The data highlight a gap in calcium and vitamin D supplement prescribing practices among providers caring for children with ASD as well as a gap in the practice of checking 25(OH)D levels.


Al-Hikmah ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Sari Eka Pratiwi ◽  
Fitri Sukmawati

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a development impairment characterized by cognitive and neurobehavioral deficit, including communication and social problem that need psycology and education intervention for the children and the parents, also nutrition intervention with Gluten-Free Casein-Free (GFCF). This study’s aim is to identify the parenting style and Gluten-Free Casein-Free diet role in ASD’s symptoms modification. This study was start with collecting the references and research publications, and study the relationship of parenting style and GFCF diet to ASD. Flexible Parenting style in ASD is important and need to be adjusted based on the characteristic, development stage and the children’s situation. Diet GFCF can be a complementary therapy to reduce ASD’s symptoms particularly children with gluten allergy and have celiac disease. However, the children without any gastrointestinal symptoms to gluten/casein products need a consideration and advance examination to determine GFCF diet requirement. [Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) merupakan suatu kelainan perkembangan saraf yang dicirikan dengan adanya defisit kognitif dan neurobehavioralyang mencakup masalah komunikasi dan perilaku sosial, yang memerlukanintervensi psikologis dan edukasi pada anak dan orang tua, serta intervensi nutrisi dengan pembatasan asupan gluten dan kasein yang dikenal dengan diet Gluten-Free Casein-Free (GFCF). Penulisan telaah jurnal ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh pola asuh orang tua dan pembatasan asupan gluten dan kasein terhadap perbaikan gejala ASD. Penulisan telaah literatur dilakukan dengan mengumpulkan berbagai sumber teori dan hasil penelitian kemudian dilakukan telaah terhadap hubungan kedua faktor yaitu pola asuh dan pembatasan asupan gluten dan kasein terhadap ASD. Gaya pengasuhan pada ASD perlu dilakukan secara fleksibel sesuai dengan keunikan karakter anak, tahap perkembangan anak, dan situasi yang sedang dihadapi. Terapi pembatasan asupan gluten/kasein dapat menjadi pilihan terapi pelengkap untuk mengurangi gejala ASD terutama pada anak yang alergi gluten dan mengalami penyakit celiac. Namun, pada anak yang tidak memiliki gejala saluran cerna terhadap produk gluten/kasein perlu pertimbangan dan pemeriksaan lebih lanjut untuk menentukan perlu tidaknya pembatasan gluten/kasein pada makanannya]. Kata Kunci: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Gluten-Free Casein-Free (GFCF), Pola Asuh Pada ASD, Autisme, Terapi Nutrisi Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document