Exploring the impact of care farm animals on people with mental health difficulties through a realist evaluation approach

Fath, Jessica (2025) Exploring the impact of care farm animals on people with mental health difficulties through a realist evaluation approach. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Background: Care farm interventions show promising benefits for people with mental health difficulties. Animals are frequently part of these environments; however, research about the impact of care farm animals specifically remains limited. This thesis aimed to better understand how and why these animals may impact adult mental health.
Methods: This thesis portfolio used realist methodology to answer the question ‘How, why, for whom, and in what context do care farm animals impact adults with mental health difficulties?’. Through a realist synthesis of existing literature, an initial programme theory was created, which begins to answer this question. This informed a realist evaluation focused on how and why care farm animals may impact adults with experiences of adverse life events. Data from ten interviews was used to refine the initial programme theory.
Results: The initial programme theory highlighted that care farm animals provide a calm therapeutic environment, individuals experience connection with the animals who present with desirable traits, and they make individuals feel safe. Through refinement with realist evaluation data, this expanded to include the farm and its people as a necessary context for the animals, which individuals perceive as a safe second home. A wide range of positive health, wellbeing and social changes are empowered by the animals, which can support individuals’ mental health recovery.
Conclusions: The portfolio reports the first research using realist methodology in the context of care farm animals and adult mental health. The refined programme theory indicates that care farm animals may be helpful for individuals with mental health needs, including those who have experienced adverse life events, by having a wide-reaching transdiagnostic and psychosocial impact. This suggests considering care farm (animals) through lenses of personal mental health recovery, focused on individuals rebuilding a meaningful life. Attachment Theory is proposed as a model to explain this impact.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Depositing User:	Nicola Veasy
Date Deposited:	27 Oct 2025 11:24
Last Modified:	27 Oct 2025 11:24
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/100775
DOI:

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