Co-Producing Paws on Campus: A Psychoeducational Dog-Facilitated Programme for University Students Experiencing Mental Health Difficulties

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Aug 14;21(8):1066. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21081066.

Abstract

Declining student mental health is a global public health issue. Campus-based animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are popular and effective interventions to prevent and alleviate symptoms. How to design, implement and evaluate evidence-based, student-centred interventions that enjoy sustained stakeholder buy-in and support is less known. This paper presents the procedures and results of a three-stage co-production method and the resulting curriculum of a novel AAI aimed at university students experiencing serious mental health problems. Stage 1 shaped the focus and structure of the intervention based on online student surveying (N = 204) and consultations with stakeholders (N = 10), including representatives of Student Well-being Services leadership, veterinarians, animal welfare charities and Therapets volunteers. In Stage 2, we conducted co-production workshops with post-graduate students (N = 6), developing the curriculum based on Stage 1 insights. In Stage 3, through iterative prototyping and student feedback (N = 22) the Paws on Campus programme was finalised, resulting in a series of four, one-hour themed sessions: (1) Thoughts and Feelings, (2) Well-being and Welfare, (3) Care and Compassion and (4) Problem Solving and Help Seeking. We describe the co-production method and resulting programme characteristics and provide considerations for others interested in developing effective and sustainable AAIs for their respective populations and contexts.

Keywords: animal-assisted interventions; dogs; human-animal interaction; mental health; students.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animal Assisted Therapy
  • Animals
  • Curriculum
  • Dogs
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / therapy
  • Mental Health*
  • Students* / psychology
  • Universities
  • Young Adult