Early Intervention/Insecure Attachment
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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)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.Results
There was not statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between intervention groups with regard to changes from insecure to secure attachment or from disorganized to organized attachment, assessed via the Ainsworth Strange Situation Test. The only significant group-difference with regard to self-reported caregiving, was found for proximity maintenance in mothers without previous therapy experience (n = 8), those in the EAI reaching higher scores (p = 0.064).Conclusion
In spite of the present study’s limitations, some advantages of an Equine-Assisted Intervention as an early intervention approach aimed at supporting at-risk mother–child dyads were apparent.
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Occupational Therapy
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Europe
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EAT
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Controlled experimental study
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20 children
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12-24 months
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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
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Attachement, wellbeing
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45 min x 8 weeks
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Beetz, Andrea & Winkler, Nora & Julius, Henri & Uvnäs-Moberg, Kerstin & Kotrschal, Kurt. (2015). A Comparison of Equine-Assisted Intervention and Conventional Play-Based Early Intervention for Mother–Child Dyads with Insecure Attachment. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention. 8. 17-39.