Animals and Veterans with PTSD

 

Many soldiers will experience confronting events during their deployment in conflict areas or peace missions. Some of these experiences can be so traumatic that veterans continue to suffer even after returning home. The resulting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) dramatically affects veterans in their daily lives and puts a heavy burden on their families and social environment.

Plenty of evidence suggests that being close to and working with animals can have a positive effect on veterans with PTSD. But in order for animal-assisted therapies to be officially recognised by health insurers, they must be evidence-based. That is why we are working towards the scientific validation of the interactions between veterans with PTSD, horses and dogs.

Our veterans and their families deserve all of our support! 

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  Every day, soldiers risk their lives to fight for a safe and stable world. Essential work that requires the utmost, both physically and mentally. However, time and again, these soldiers have to endure events that will haunt them long after the mission has ended. Even when safely back home, they are forced to relive their traumatic experiences, including associated feelings of fear and helplessness. This condition is known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and prevents countless veterans from living normal lives. What is more, PTSD presents a particularly heavy burden to the  family, friends and immediate environment. We believe that these veterans, as well as their families and friends, deserve all the support they can get.     Animals and veterans with PTSD   Research findings suggest that interactions with animals can have beneficial effects on the well-being of veterans with PTSD (O'Haire et al., Frontiers in Psychology 2015). Until now, research has mainly focused on the interaction between veterans and PTSD service dogs. For more details, please consult our project page on the topic.   Studies suggests that certain types of group therapy, which may include those relying on the interaction with horses, are likely to have a positive effect on a veteran's health (MacLean, Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development 2011). It has been suggested that in addition to the interaction with horses, the aspects of being together and cooperating with other veterans with PTSD, may have additional positive effects (Abrams, PhD thesis Northcentral University, USA, 2013). Moreover, such a way of working in a team aligns with how the army generally operates.  However, other than anecdotal evidence, there is little empirical data available that reliably measures the effects of such a therapy. That is why the current research project wants to gather reliable, measurable data into the effectiveness of the use of horses on the mental health of the veteran. In this way the research team wants to contribute to treatment methods that can help veterans (and in the long term also civil patients) with PTSD even better. And the urgency is high: The prevalence of PTSD is continually increasing. In addition to the military, there is also increasing attention for this problem in other uniformed professions such as the police, fire brigade and ambulance service.     H-PWR: the power of horses   The project team wants to investigate the effects of group therapy with horses on veterans with PTSD. Regarding the effects on the veterans, we want to perform measurements on the participants before, during and after the therapy. We expect a decrease in sensitivity to stress during the course of therapy (lower heart rate and cortisol level), an increase in self-awareness and a more positive self-image among veterans. We do not expect any negative effects of the therapy on the horses used, but we do expect a relationship between behavior and physiology in veterans and horses (for example, a higher oxytocin level in both humans and horses in positive social interaction). Over the course of a 4-year program, the project team will follow nine groups of eight veterans with PTSD each during a specifically developed 12-week training program. Every week a group of veterans will come together for a day at the participating riding school, to work through the training program. Said program has a modular structure and starts with the basics and builds up slowly. Both veterans and horses are monitored throughout the training program in order to be able to investigate the most effective treatment in this way. The project team aims to involve those veterans on the Dutch waiting list for group therapy with horses.    Help veterans with PTSD   We hope to help as many veterans with PTSD as possible, and provide hard evidence that horses can make a real difference in the lives of veterans.  Support us, and help our veterans with PTSD!       
H-PWR - The Power of the Horse

Prinses Margarita beschermvrouwe van project Horsepower

26-05-2023 | 21:31

H.K.H. Prinses Margarita de Bourbon de Parme is vanaf vandaag beschermvrouwe van het onderzoeksproject Horsepower, voor veteranen met therapieresistente PTSS. Onderzoekster Nienke Endenburg is er heel blij mee: “De betrokkenheid van de prinses doet de deelnemers van Horsepower en ons als onderzoekers veel goed. Het helpt bovendien om bekendheid te geven aan Horsepower, dat helemaal mogelijk wordt gemaakt door donaties.”

Naar schatting kampen in Nederland zo’n 5% van de 100.000 veteranen met een post-traumatische stress stoornis (PTSS). Een deel van die veteranen met PTSS hebben ondanks behandeling met bestaande therapievormen nog steeds klachten en zijn dus therapieresistent. PTSS is een angststoornis die symptomen heeft zoals verstoorde nachtrust, herbelevingen, vermijden van prikkels, moeite met concentreren en uiteindelijk komen ook lichamelijke klachten en verslavingsproblematiek vaker voor bij deze groep. PTSS vormt daarnaast ook een zware belasting voor hun familie en directe omgeving. Deze veteranen, en hun families en vrienden, verdienen alle steun die mogelijk is.

“Ik ben blij dat er nu wetenschappelijk onderzoek gedaan wordt naar de invloed van paarden op veteranen met therapieresistente PTSS”, zegt prinses Margarita. “En het is natuurlijk ook heel belangrijk dat het welzijn van de paarden gemeten wordt. Wat me opvalt is de rust en de ontspanning die de veteranen ervaarden als ze met de paarden omgaan. Ik hoop dat dit in de toekomst voor meer veteranen met PTSS toegankelijk zal zijn.”

Klik hier voor een reportage in Blauw Bloed. 

Het hele interview met prinses Margarita is aanstaande zaterdag te zien in de uitzending van Blauw Bloed. Om 20:05 uur op NPO 2!

Help je mee?

Het project H-PWR is mede mogelijk gemaakt door de partners en donateurs van Vrienden Diergeneeskunde, met bijdragen van twee anonieme schenkers, het Karel Doorman Fonds, het Dr. C.J. Vaillantfonds, het K.F. Hein Fonds, de Stichting Goede Doelen Nh1816, de Stichting N. van Ballegooijen Fonds, Waterland Private Equity Investments, en vele donateurs. Met jouw steun kunnen we nog meer veteranen met PTSS helpen.



Deelnemen?

Er is nog ruimte voor deelnemers aan het programma. Bent u defensie veteraan met therapie resistente PTSS die u heeft opgelopen tijdens één of meerdere uitzendingen, en volgt u op dit moment geen andere behandeling? Dan kunt u zich aanmelden of meer informatie vragen door te mailen naar: h-power@uu.nl. Veel dank!

Foto: Blauw Bloed- Daniëlle van den Bor

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