Resources and Articles
Psychology Today - Equine Assisted Therapy: A Unique and Effective Intervention
www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/helping-kids-cope/201903/equine-assisted-therapy-unique-and-effective-intervention?fbclid=IwAR2isaNw9Lr0FYFG10Y3FXl5TqPEsK1zEc5mO3r6LQEYU3tADccuzu7FxvM
Nimer and Lundahl (2007) found consistent improvements in 4 main areas:
(https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-13585-002)
The influence of animals on the development of children
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090023310004077
Abstract
There is a widespread belief that interaction with an animal is beneficial for the development of children, and several studies (most with methodological shortcomings) have investigated the influence of (companion) animals on the social–emotional and cognitive development of children. In this article, the 1984 model of Professor Jay Belsky has been used to describe which variables influence the development of children and how the companion animal–child interaction influences these variables. The value of the AAA/AAT (Animal Assisted Activities/Animal Assisted Therapy) programmes in children with a wide variety of clinical and social problems, such as behaviour problems and autistic spectrum symptoms, is discussed. The findings suggest that (companion) animals positively influence children’s development and have a valuable role in therapy.
www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/helping-kids-cope/201903/equine-assisted-therapy-unique-and-effective-intervention?fbclid=IwAR2isaNw9Lr0FYFG10Y3FXl5TqPEsK1zEc5mO3r6LQEYU3tADccuzu7FxvM
Nimer and Lundahl (2007) found consistent improvements in 4 main areas:
(https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-13585-002)
- Autism spectrum symptoms (e.g., positive social interactions and communication)
- Medical difficulties (e.g., heart rate, BP, motor skills, co-ordination)
- Behavioural problems (e.g., verbal resistance, aggression, violence & compliance with rules)
- Emotional well-being (e.g., anxiety, fear & depression)
The influence of animals on the development of children
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090023310004077
Abstract
There is a widespread belief that interaction with an animal is beneficial for the development of children, and several studies (most with methodological shortcomings) have investigated the influence of (companion) animals on the social–emotional and cognitive development of children. In this article, the 1984 model of Professor Jay Belsky has been used to describe which variables influence the development of children and how the companion animal–child interaction influences these variables. The value of the AAA/AAT (Animal Assisted Activities/Animal Assisted Therapy) programmes in children with a wide variety of clinical and social problems, such as behaviour problems and autistic spectrum symptoms, is discussed. The findings suggest that (companion) animals positively influence children’s development and have a valuable role in therapy.
Australian Mental Health Social Workers’ Experiences of Burnout
For full article click here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0312407X.2023.2278768
ABSTRACT
Mental health practice is recognised as emotionally demanding and complex. Social workers and others working in this field of practice may be susceptible to stress and burnout. This study explored Australian social workers’ stories of burnout when working in the mental health sector. In the qualitative study described here, the method used was in-depth interviews to narratively understand and organise the experiences of 10 Australian mental health social workers who had a self-identified experience of burnout. Findings indicated that although there are individual and contextual aspects of burnout, mental health social workers would feel most supported by organisations implementing structured burnout prevention practices, including mandating supervision and regulating caseloads. These insights contribute to the profession’s understanding of burnout as experienced by Australian mental health social workers and may benefit practitioners and organisations to reduce the risk of burnout in future social work practice
IMPLICATIONS
Mental health practice is recognised as emotionally demanding and complex. Social workers and others working in this field of practice may be susceptible to stress and burnout. This study explored Australian social workers’ stories of burnout when working in the mental health sector. In the qualitative study described here, the method used was in-depth interviews to narratively understand and organise the experiences of 10 Australian mental health social workers who had a self-identified experience of burnout. Findings indicated that although there are individual and contextual aspects of burnout, mental health social workers would feel most supported by organisations implementing structured burnout prevention practices, including mandating supervision and regulating caseloads. These insights contribute to the profession’s understanding of burnout as experienced by Australian mental health social workers and may benefit practitioners and organisations to reduce the risk of burnout in future social work practice
IMPLICATIONS
- Mental health social work is emotionally demanding and social workers working in the sector may experience high levels of stress and burnout.
- Burnout is a stress-induced phenomenon that is multi-dimensional, yet many social workers are expected to manage this issue through individually structured practices such as self-care.
- Organisations need to take a stronger and more systemic approach to proactively prevent and respond to worker burnout in mental health work.
Conclusion - Participants in the present study identified many individual and organisational strategies that were believed to be helpful in reducing the risk of burnout in social workers. However, there are co-existing contextual factors contributing to the narrative of burnout that can be characterised by their non-agentic nature, which impacts on an individual in ways the individual has no control over. These can deeply affect an individual’s resilience and make them more vulnerable to burnout. The findings highlighted the need for organisations to be held accountable for staff experiencing burnout, as current policies reported were tokenistic and not informing daily practice. Organisations need to be more in tune with the human needs of their staff rather than just seeing them as workers at the organisation’s disposal.
Organisations need to be more responsive to burnout and need to be more attuned to workers’ need for high support in high-pressure, high-stress mental health roles. This could include burnout prevention policies and fostering a trauma-informed workplace culture. Further research investigating the perspectives of organisations and trialling the implementation of burnout prevention frameworks in organisations would be beneficial. This can potentially improve staff satisfaction, improve staff retention, and make the field more sustainable for mental health social workers long-term.