Can Animals Help Humans Heal? Animal-Assisted Interventions in Adolescent Mental Health
Sunday, March 28th, 2004
"Animals in the lives of adolescents:
A biocentric perspective on development" Gail F. Melson, Ph.D.
Abstract:
Animals are a pervasive part of the ecology of children's development. Despite this,
both theory and research remains "humanocentric," restricted to human-human
relationships. This paper argues for a "biocentric" perspective on development,
by addressing evidence for the role of animal contact in three domains:
attachment relationships, social support, and nurturance. Considering
the role of animals in these domains aids our understanding both outcomes
and processes in animal-assisted interventions (AAI) with adolescents.
Limitations and challenges in the application of a biocentric perspective
to AAI in adolescent mental health are addressed.
Bio:
Gail F. Melson is Professor of Developmental Studies
in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies, Purdue University.
She is also a member of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue.
Currently, Dr. Melson is a Visiting Professor at Tufts University for Spring
2004. She received her B.A. cum laude from Harvard University and M.S. and
Ph.D. in Psychology from Michigan State University. Her scholarship focuses
on the significance of animals for children's development. She has authored
or co-authored four books and over 50 articles and book chapters. Her latest
book, Why the Wild Things Are: Animals in the Lives of Children (Harvard
University Press, 2001) has appeared in Chinese and French language editions.
The French edition was a 2003 selection of the French Book of the Month
club.
