Promoting mental health in military veterans. Methodology and evaluation tools in a pilot study involving an Equine-Assisted Intervention.

Aims: Military veterans exposed to stressful or traumatic events may experience adjustment difficulties in the post-deployment period, developing a high risk of mental health-related issues. Promising complementary practices such as Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) are now widely used, although standardized protocols are missing. The present study aimed to develop an EAT standardized intervention.

Using sport-based interventions for people with severe mental disorders: results from the European EASMH study.

People with severe mental disorders report significantly poorer physical health and a higher mortality rate compared with the general population. Several interventions have been proposed in order to challenge this mortality gap, the promotion of physical activities represents one of the most important strategies. In fact, in people with severe mental disorders, physical activity can improve body composition, quality of life, personal functioning, self-esteem, cognition, and cardiorespiratory fitness, as well as reducing affective, psychotic and anxiety symptoms, cardiometabolic burden and increase the global recovery.

Integrated neurocognitive therapy in chronic schizophrenic inpatients: preliminary data and considerations.

Background: The present paper aims at studying the efficacy of the Integrated Neurocognitive Therapy (INT), according to Roder's model, in a group of chronic schizophrenics in a long term residential condition. This kind of treatment is particularly interesting because, according to the most recent studies concerning schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental disorder, allows to act on the neuro- and socio- cognitions areas, which are the most deteriorated ones. Moreover the INT program includes also computer aided activities (Cog PacK), which largely proved their efficacy on neurocognition.

Equine-Assisted Intervention in a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: a case report.

An increasing number of studies have shown the beneficial effects of both recreational and therapeutic interventions assisted by animals for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The observed effects are believed to be mainly due to the ability of some animals to positively engage people, thus potentially counteracting the social withdrawal characterizing these subjects. Here we report the case of a child with high-functioning autism who has been included in an Equine-Assisted Intervention (EAI) program for 2 years.

Effectiveness of a Standardized Equine-Assisted Therapy Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

In this study the effectiveness of an equine-assisted therapy (EAT) in improving adaptive and executive functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was examined (children attending EAT, n = 15, control group n = 13; inclusion criteria: IQ > 70). Therapeutic sessions consisted in structured activities involving horses and included both work on the ground and riding. Results indicate an improvement in social functioning in the group attending EAT (compared to the control group) and a milder effect on motor abilities.

Non conventional psychiatric rehabilitation in schizophrenia using therapeutic riding: the FISE multicentre Pindar project.

The FISE (Federazione Italiana Sport Equestri) Pindar is a multicentre research project aimed at testing the potential effects of therapeutic riding on schizophrenic patients. Twenty-four subjects with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were enrolled for a 1 year-treatment involving therapeutic riding sessions. All subjects were tested at the beginning and at the end of treatment with a series of validated test batteries (BPRS and 8 items-PANSS).