Research Problem: How Effective Is The Use Of Animal Assisted Therapy (Research Paper Sample)

Describing a Research Problem
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Describing a Research Problem
The research problem I will be addressing is “how effective is the use of animal-assisted therapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”
This is an important research question that deserves study because it is a relatively new treatment technique for PTSD. In the past, PTSD among military veterans focused on counseling, medication, and partnering with other military veterans (O'Haire, Guйrin & Kirkham, 2015). However, the healing process for military veterans suffering from PTSD has continued to be prolonged and lonely. In this way, exploring how animal-assisted therapy can be beneficial for PTSD patients and whether this can enhance the treatment outcomes is essential. While many counseling techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapies for PTSD are invasive, animal-assisted therapy is non-invasive and does not require exposure to the trauma (Kloep, Hunter & Kertz, 2017). Animals allow people to get companionship and a source of interaction that is peaceful. According to Yount et al. (2013), most often pets help reduce stress, anxiety, blood pressure, enhance the immune system, and also promote a way of exercising. This means the animal-assisted therapy offers a wide range of options and a way of improving the treatment options for patients. Ideally, it is evident that in treating clients, finding the treatment that generates the most effective outcomes is essential (Sheperis, Young & Daniels, 2016). From this information, it is clear that exploring the benefits of animal-assisted therapy when treating PTSD is essential for the development of more suitable intervention techniques for patients.
It would benefit me as a counselor if studies addressing this research problem were conducted because I have vested interest to work with military veterans. Dealing with veterans suffering from PTSD is something that I plan to venture into as a future career. This means that if studies on animal-assisted therapy continue, it would help me gain a better understanding how to use it to help my clients. It is an eye-opener to know that as I join the field, many more intervention strategies for veterans with PTSD will be availed to me. This offers a chance to study and gain more knowledge on how animals can help patients recover more effectively and faster. Further, working as an intern, I have spent a lot of time with veterans suffering from PTSD. I have seen and felt their pain as they struggle to overcome their trauma and if this field is studied in an in-depth manner, it will help me be more useful when working with such patients. I feel that I will in future focus on using animal-assisted therapy when dealing with the various needs of this po...