uch as lack of understanding, manipulation by parents, perceived threats to autonomy, feelings of scapegoating, and lack of motivation. Therapy dogs, however, help the children to view their therapeutic sessions as fun. Further, the dogs seem to provide the children with a sense of calm and comfort which, in turn, enables the therapist to establish a relationship with the them, thereby securing disclosure of their psychobehavioral conflicts and problems. Also secured is the children's trust that the therapist is able to help them.
Therapy dogs have also been used to help inmates. For example, Walsh and Mertin (1994) describe the Pets as Therapy (PAT) program, which was initiated in a large federal women's prison. The purpose of the program was for inmates to train companion dogs for the elderly as well as for individuals with disabilities.
Examining for any benefits of the program to inmates, the study explored the effect of the program on the general psychological and emotional well-being of the prisoners participating in it. In the study, as part of the PAT program, a total of eight female inmates were given responsibility for training three dogs each.
As part of the evaluation of the PAT training, inmates completed the Coppersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and the IPAT Depression Scale prior to entering and leaving the program. Results were said to suggest that the program had positive effects on the self-esteem of prisoners with a concomitant decrease in depression. In addition, the women also reported that they felt worthwhile in that they were performing a valuable task.
The literature indicates that populations other than children and inmates also have benefitted from animal therapy. In this regard, Draper, Gerber and Layng (1990) have noted that despite the fact that there are over 1000 studies that have examined the efficacy of animal therapy, almost none of these have examined the use of this form of th...