In this 21st-century landscape, suicide is now the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds.
Stemming from the lack of vulnerability, self-awareness (Flynn & Rudolph, 2007), identity crisis (Marcia, 2002), anti-social and high impulsivity (Glatz et al, 2011), youths are susceptible to mental issues (Patterson, 2020) if their mental wellbeing is overlooked. How can we prevent such instances from happening?
Independently, both mindfulness and animal-assisted interventions have been shown to have positive effects on the aforementioned problems. By marrying both interventions together, PI is able to incorporate a new framework to improve the mental well-being of beneficiaries, resulting in a better quality of life.
Participants will undergo a 1-hour mindfulness animal-assisted interaction take home activities over the course of 5-8 weeks. A questionnaire will be done before and after the program to determine (but not limited to) anxiety and depression markers.
Currently, PI is discussing with stakeholders (HPC, CFM, SPCA) how to further expand the audience and services.
