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. 2020 Sep 3;2020(9):CD007668. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007668.pub3

Berget 2008.

Methods Design: parallel randomised controlled trial
Participants Participants: adult psychiatric inpatients and outpatients with various diagnosesa
Sex: (for whole sample) 59 women; 31 men
Age: (for whole sample) mean = 34.7 years (SD = 10.7, range = 18 to 58)
Unit of allocation: individual participant
Number randomised: for whole sample n = 90 (n = 60 intervention group; n = 30 control group; data not extractable for any AsPD subgroupa)
Number completing: data not extractable for any AsPD subgroupa
Setting: community; 15 sites (farms); rural; Oslo (Norway)
Inclusion criteria: adults currently receiving psychiatric care (both inpatients and outpatients)
Exclusion criteria: aged less than 18 years; acute psychotic disorder; mental retardation; serious drug addiction; being in a job during the 6 months prior to start of intervention
Ethnicity: no information
Baseline characteristics: (for whole samplea) current inpatients = 14/90 (15.5%); current outpatients = 76/90 (84.5%); ill for more than 5 years (> 50%); treated in psychiatric institutions for > 3 years (72%); receiving daily medication (83%)
Interventions Two conditions: animal‐assisted therapy with farm animals plus treatment‐as‐usual (AAT + TAU); or treatment‐as‐usual (TAU)
  • Experimental group (number randomised unknown for AsPD subgroupa): AAT + TAU

  • Control group (number randomised unknown for AsPD subgroupa): TAU


Details of conditions:
  • AAT comprised farm visit for 3 hours twice a week for 12 weeks to work with farm animals

  • TAU comprised ‘standard therapy’ and stable medical treatment


Duration of intervention: 12 weeks
Duration of trial: 9 months
Length of follow‐up: Participants were followed up for 6 months after end of treatment.
Outcomes Primary outcomes
  • None


Secondary outcomes
  • Leaving the study early: proportion of participants discontinuing treatment

  • Quality of life: scores on the Quality of Life Scale


Other outcomes
  • Self‐efficacy: scores on the Generalised Self‐Efficacy Scale

  • Coping ability: scores on the Coping Strategies Scale

Notes aStudy may have recruited a subgroup with AsPD since 22 of 90 participants had an ICD‐10 F60‐69 disorder (disorder of adult personality and behaviour). No data extractable on any AsPD subgroup. Awaiting clarification from investigators (Berget 2008)