# An Equine-Assisted Intervention Versus Non-Manualized Psychotherapy for Youth in a Residential Childcare Facility

## TL;DR

This study compares equine-assisted therapy and traditional therapy for youth with behavioral issues, finding both approaches equally effective after 24 weeks.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence comparing equine-assisted intervention with non-manualized CBT for youth with disruptive behavior disorders.

## Key findings

- No significant differences were found between equine-assisted intervention and non-manualized CBT in reducing externalizing behaviors.
- Both treatment groups showed significant improvement in externalizing behaviors after 24 weeks.
- Post-treatment scores for both groups fell within the normal range on key psychopathology measures.

## Abstract

Characteristics of individuals with disruptive behavior disorders often include elevated externalizing behaviors such as impulsivity, defiance of authority and antagonism of social norms. Evidence shows that adolescents diagnosed with these types of disorders are particularly challenging to treat; however, therapies incorporating horses have shown some success. We examined the impact of an equine-assisted intervention compared to a non-manualized cognitive behavioral therapy in youth between 12- and 18-years old living in a residential childcare facility. Upon admittance, youth were administered three assessments: the Youth Self-Report, Adolescent Psychopathology Scale, and Basic Empathy Scale. Youth scoring in the clinical range for at least one externalizing subscale of the Youth Self-Report were assigned to equine-assisted intervention (EQI; N = 23) or non-manualized cognitive behavioral therapy (NM-CBT; N = 20) groups. Each group received a total of 7 h of treatment per week (three 2-hr group sessions and one 1-hr individual session) for 24 weeks. After 24 weeks of treatment, the same three assessments were administered a second time. There were no significant differences between the NM-CBT and EQI groups in the amount of change between assessments. A significant time effect was found for total externalizing behaviors in the Adolescent Psychopathology Scale and Youth Self-Report such that these measures were within the normal range after 24 weeks of treatment for participants in both groups.