The purpose of the proposed project is to investigate the effectiveness of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) for reducing symptoms related to PTSD among public safety personnel. EAL is an intervention in which mental health clinicians and equine specialists work together with clients to address a learning goal via unmounted interaction with a horse. Recent literature indicates that EAL shows promise in addressing a range of mental health diagnoses among a variety of populations, including military and Royal Canadian Mounted Police veterans with PTSD. The EAL intervention will be delivered at Cartier Farms in Spruce Home, Saskatchewan. Research components of this study will be conducted virtually via Zoom.~The investigators will employ a randomized controlled trial design with pre-post and follow-up testing. Participants will be randomized into one of two groups: the intervention group will receive the EAL intervention for 8 weeks while waitlist control condition will not receive this treatment for the same amount of time. Data on PTSD symptom severity will be collected from all participants prior to the start of the EAL intervention (baseline), again within two weeks after the EAL intervention is complete (post), and then a final time three months after the EAL intervention ends (follow-up). The two groups will then be compared to determine whether there are differences in PTSD symptom severity between groups. To obtain a sufficient sample size while also running appropriately sized EAL groups of 10 per session, the investigators will conduct four rounds of randomization, Thus, the final sample size will be 80 (40 in the intervention condition and 40 in the waitlist control condition). All individuals in the waitlist control condition will be offered EAL following their completion of the study.
This RCT will evaluate the efficacy of Equine Assisted Learning for reducing PTSD symptoms in public safety personnel (e.g., fire fighters, police, nurses, etc.).