Dr. Virginia Iannone

Effects of Therapeutic Horseback Riding on Self-esteem and Depression
Student Researchers: Megan Lambert, Nick Rizzutti, Brittany Shetterly and Craig Remenapp

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During the past two decades there has been a growing interest in Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) across fields of study, including physical and occupational therapy, and mental health.  Early outcome studies show that AAT has been helpful in not only achieving discipline-specific treatment goals, but also in eliciting more general improvements in self-esteem, mood, and social functioning.  However, an overwhelming number of studies in this area are dissertation manuscripts that have not been subjected to the rigorous critique of a peer-reviewed journal.  Furthermore, a majority of studies that have been published provide anecdotal evidence rather than robust analysis of quantitative data, have inadequate sample sizes, and utilize inadequate controls.  As a result, more rigorous research is needed to validate AAT as an acceptable treatment modality, regardless of the field of study. The current study seeks to investigate the impact of a subset of AAT, Equine-Facilitated Therapy (EFT), on self-esteem and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with disabilities.  The specific aims of the proposed study are to 1) examine the effectiveness of EFT on self-esteem and depression, 2) determine whether these differences vary according to any diagnosis or demographic characteristics, and 3) obtain qualitative data on patients’ experiences with therapeutic horseback riding. 

This project has the potential to contribute substantially to the behavioral health field in several ways.  First, it will evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic horseback riding for individuals with disabilities with empirical data.  Second, as a seed project, the data collected from this study will be used to inform a large-scale, randomized, clinical trial of therapeutic riding as an intervention.

I am working with a team of undergraduate research assistants, and we are currently in the data-collection phase of the study.

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Megan is a junior and a Psychology major.  She has been working with Dr. Virginia Iannone on the research project: Effects of Therapeutic Horseback Riding on Self-esteem and Depression.  Megan expects to graduate in May 2011 and pursue a doctorate degree in Forensic Psychology.

About her work as a Student Researcher Megan explains:
My job as a student research assistant will begin with participant recruitment. I will visit individual riding sites and present them with the present study and past studies involving Dr. Iannone and ask them to recommend people that fit our inclusion criteria.  I will then meet with the recruited participants during the first week of their riding sessions and have them fill out demographic information and the Beck Depression inventory II and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. Data collection, database management, data analysis, and presentation of the results at a professional conference will then follow. Since I will be pursuing a doctorate degree, I will need a background in research and this study provides me with the opportunity to begin my research experience outside of the classroom.  Although it will not be my main career focus, I am extremely interested in Dr. Iannone’s study looking at self-esteem and therapeutic horseback riding. 

This job will not only give me professional work experience for my Curriculum Vitae, but it will also prepare me for field placement through Stevenson and future jobs in the Psychology field.  I am very excited to be a part of an out-of-classroom research study, especially with other students.  It will be nice to use my research method and data analysis skills in a real-life setting.

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Craig is a senior pursuing an Interdisciplinary Studies degree with focuses on Biology and Psychology.  He expects to graduate in May 2010, and later plans to attend graduate school in hopes of receiving a degree in Forensic Psychology.  He is working with Dr. Virginia Iannone on the research project: Effects of Therapeutic Horseback Riding on Self-esteem and Depression. 

About his work as a Student Researcher Craig explains:

Dr. Iannone hired me as a student research assistant for this particular study, which is looking at the effects of therapeutic horseback riding on self esteem.  My duties as a student researcher involve traveling to different therapeutic horse riding facilities to recruit participants and inform them of our study.  The job also involves collecting the data from our participants and then analyzing that data, so that it may then be presented at a professional conference. 

This research opportunity is a good learning experience for me, since I plan on attending graduate school.  I feel that the skills and knowledge that I have acquired thus far from my years at Stevenson have made me more than qualified for this position.  I am very excited to be working with my fellow students as well as Dr. Iannone on this study.  Although it is not directly related to my career goals, this opportunity is another great experience which will only further prepare me for my future.

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Nick is a Psychology major in his junior year and plans on graduating in spring 2011. He is currently working as a Research Assistant for Dr. Virginia Iannone on her research project involving animal assisted therapy: Effects of Therapeutic Horseback Riding on Self-esteem and Depression.

About his work as a Student Researcher Nick explains:
I plan on being a part of Dr. Iannone’s research team for the duration of this year and possibly into the summer if there is still available work to complete.  Some of my research duties will include participant recruitment, data collection, data analysis, and I will have the chance to help develop and present a poster at a professional conference.

I am very excited to be a part of this research team. This position will help me obtain my long-term goals of attending a graduate school and getting a degree in Clinical Psychology.  I have always had an interest and respect for animals and being able to see how they can help humans should be a very rewarding experience.