Effect of assisted therapy with animals in the quality of persons with dementia. A systematic review

INTRODUCTION. Mental disorders, more specifically the dementias, in Spain generate a great repercussion in economic, social and sanitary level. However, currently there is no treatment to prevent its occurrence or to reverse its progression. OBJECTIVE. To provide information about the effects of animal assisted therapy in people with dementia. METHODS. An exhaustive bibliographic search was made on the existing literature, using the Web of Science, Scopus and CINAHL databases. RESULTS. Of a total of 21 articles, 5 were included in this study. It was observed that assisted therapy with animals had positive effects on the quality of life of these people. DISCUSSION. The scientific evidence gathered in this paper shows that there are still many aspects of this field that require investigation. CONCLUSIONS. The articles examined show the improvement in the quality of life that provides animal assisted therapy in people with dementia.