Nature and Animal-assisted Activities

Nature and Animal-assisted Activities for Young Adults With Autism and Social Withdrawal

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT06431126

Enrollment

Registered

2024-05-28

Start date

2020-09-24

Completion date

2027-12-01

Last updated

2026-06-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Neuropsychiatric Syndrome

Keywords

complementary therapies, feasability, young adults

Brief summary

Neuropsychiatric impairments in young adults are common and can involve social withdrawal, and difficulties in receiving support from healthcare and municipal social care services. Collaboration is needed, but knowledge gaps exist concerning effective interventions. Participation in meaningful activities, as a complement to other treatment strategies can be a step towards studies/work. The aim of the trial is to explore the feasibility of a structured nature and animal-based activity on a farm for young adults with neuropsychiatric impairments. The intervention involves participation in nature and animal-assisted group activities, twice a week for 12 weeks. Data consists of interviews with participants prior to and after the intervention, as well as one year later. The one-year follow-up focus is on life situation, changes in everyday life and experiences of the intervention. In addition, interview-based experiences of the ordinary staff and supervisors on the farm are included. Analysis will be carried out with qualitative content analysis, as well as health-economic calculations.

Interventions

OTHERNature and animal-assisted activities

Supervised activities on a farm, 2 half day/week for 12 weeks

Study design

Allocation

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 30 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* 18-30 years * Autism Spectrum Disorder * No occupation/employment/education over the last year * Social insurance benefits * Interest in being with animals

Exclusion criteria

* Ongoing active drug abuse * Severe psychiatric comorbidity

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Attendance	12 weeks	Number of sessions with participation

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Experiences of participation	12 weeks	Interviews
Occupational level	1 year	Interview

Countries

Sweden

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORBirgitta Gunnarsson, PhD

Kronoberg County Council

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jun 30, 2026