Horse-assisted Intervention, Heart Rate Variability & Stress

NCT ID: NCT05703165

Last Updated: 2025-09-29

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 123 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-05-31
• Study Completion Date: 2028-01-01

Brief Summary

In this study, the effects of an animal-assisted intervention on people with increased stress levels are investigated. The data collected will be compared with those of participants with high stress levels but without animal-assisted intervention (participants only observe nature) and with a control group consisting of people without stress exposure.

The study will be performed in the following setting: Questionnaire examination on chronic stress, questionnaire on current well-being and heart rate variability (HRV) measurement before the horse-assisted intervention, one HRV measurement and one questionnaire examination (POMS) on current well-being after the horse-assisted intervention, one questionnaire (POMS) on current well-being 5 days after the horse-assisted intervention.

Detailed Description

The early recognition of chronic stressors, which are often neglected by those affected until physical symptoms appear, is of essential importance. In addition to psychopharmacological therapy modalities, complementary methods such as animal-assisted intervention should also be considered in order to expand the therapeutic spectrum and thus prevent stress-associated consequential harms as early as possible.

Stress has gained importance in recent years not only in the medical context, but also due to its economic relevance. Chronic stress in particular leads to numerous medically relevant secondary diseases and to increased sick leaves and even permanent incapacity to work. One possible intervention to reduce stress could be animal-assisted intervention.

Primary hypothesis: The use of animal-assisted intervention in people diagnosed with chronic stressful situations will lead to measurable increases in heart rate variability.

Secondary hypothesis: The use of animal-assisted intervention in people diagnosed with chronic stressful situations leads to improved well-being (target parameter: POMS questionnaire)

Conditions

Psychological Stress

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SEQUENTIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

subjects with stress burden and animal-assisted intervention

The 20-minute horse-assisted intervention takes place in compliance with basic safety precautions (safety bar between horse and participant) and after safety instruction in handling the therapy horse. The horse can be touched or stroked more or less intensively, depending on the needs and current state of mind of the study participant.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

animal-assisted intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

horse-assisted intervention

subjects with stress burden and without animal-assisted intervention

Study participants only observe the natural environment.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

watching the countryside

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

just watching the countryside

subjects without stress burden and with animal-assisted intervention

The 20-minute horse-assisted intervention takes place in compliance with basic safety precautions (safety bar between horse and participant) and after safety instruction in handling the therapy horse. The horse can be touched or stroked more or less intensively, depending on the needs and current state of mind of the study participant.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

animal-assisted intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

horse-assisted intervention

Interventions

animal-assisted intervention

horse-assisted intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

watching the countryside

just watching the countryside

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Male, female and diverse
• Age between 18-75 years

Exclusion Criteria

• Animal hair allergies (especially horse hair allergies, fear of horses)
• Acute severe psychiatric conditions (e.g. psychosis)
• Persons, unable to give signed informed consent,
• All persons, who have not signed the informed consent form.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 80 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Medical University of Graz

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Andreas Baranyi

Assoc.Prof. Dr.

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Andreas Baranyi

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

Locations

Medical University of Graz

Graz, Styria, Austria

Countries

Austria

Central Contacts

Andreas Baranyi, M.D.

Role: CONTACT

an.baranyi@medunigraz.at

004331638586241

Bettina Frühwirth

Role: CONTACT

bettina.fruehwirth@stud.medunigraz.at

Other Identifiers

34-521

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id