Overall, the goal of my research is to employ rigorous methodology to understand the effects of animal-assisted interventions. By quantifying outcomes, understanding mechanisms and identifying characteristics of the humans and animals involved, my work provides critical insights to both researchers and practitioners for developing the most effective animal-assisted interventions.
Nieforth, L.O. & Kaufman, S. (2024). Practitioner experiences of the death of a horse in an equine-assisted services program. OMEGA: Journal of Death and Dying. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00302228241249200
Nieforth, L.O. & Leighton, S.C. (2024). Animal-Assisted Interventions for Military Families:
A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1372189
Nieforth, L.O., Guerin, N.A., Stehli, A., Schuck, S., Yi, K.L., O’Haire, M.E.. (2024). Observation of human-animal interaction for research (OHAIRE) behavior coding in a randomized control trial of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a canine-assisted intervention. Frontiers in Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1327380
Nieforth, L.O., Rodriguez, K.E., Zhuang, R., Miller, E.A., Sabbaghi, A., Schwichtenberg, A.J., Granger, D.A. & O’Haire, M.E. (2024). The cortisol awakening response in a three-month clinical trial of service dogs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50626-y
Nieforth, L.O., Leighton, S.C., Schwichtenberg, A.J., MacDermid Wadsworth, S. & O’Haire,
M.E. (2023). A preliminary analysis of psychiatric service dog placements and sleep patterns of partners of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Anthrozoos. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2023.2268979.
Leighton, S. C., Rodriguez, K. E., Nieforth, L. O., O’Haire, M. E. (2023). Service dogs for autistic children and family system functioning: a constant comparative analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14:1210095. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1210095
Nieforth, L.O., Leighton, S.C., Miller, E.A. & O’Haire, M.E. (2022). Survey of international academic centers and institutes focused on human-animal bond: Scope and landscape in 2021. Human Animal Interactions. https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2022.0026
Leighton, S.C., Nieforth, L.O., Griffin, T.C., O’Haire, M.E. (2022). Researcher-practitioner interaction: collaboration to advance the field of human-animal interaction. Human-Animal Interactions. https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2022.0025
Leighton, S.L., Nieforth, L.O. & O’Haire, M.E. (2022). Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-synthesis. PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274960
Howell, T.J., Nieforth, L.,Thomas-Pino, C., Samet, L., Agbonika, S., Cuervas-Pavincich, F., Ekholm Fry, N., Hill, K., Jegatheesan, B., Kakinuma, M., Macnamara, M., Mattila-Rautiainen, S., Perry, A., Tardif-Williams, C., Walsh, E., Winkle, M., Yamamoto, M., Yerbury, R., Rawat, V…Bennett, P. (2022) Defining commonly used terms for animals working in support roles for vulnerable people. Animals. doi: 10.3390/ani12151975
Nieforth, L.O., Miller, E., MacDermid Wadsworth, & O’Haire, M.E. (2022). The effects of a service dog on the wellbeing of veteran families. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2022.2062997
Nieforth, L.O., Abdul Wahab,A.H., Sabbaghi, A.H., MacDermid Wadsworth, S., Foti, D. & O’Haire, M.E. (2022). Quantifying the emotional experiences of partners of veterans with PTSD service dogs using ecological momentary assessment. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101590
Nieforth, L.O., Craig, E.A., MacDermid Wadsworth, S., Behmer, V. & O’Haire, M.E. (2023). PTSD service dogs foster resilience among veterans and military families. Current Psychology. doi:10.1007/s12144-021-01990-3
Nieforth, L.O., Rodriguez, K.E. & O’Haire, M.E. (2021). Expectations versus experiences of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder service dogs: A conventional content analysis. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. doi:10.1037/tra0001021
Nieforth, L.O., Schwichtenberg, A.J. & O’Haire, M.E. (2023). Animal assisted interventions for autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of the literature from 2016-2020. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi:10.1007/s40489-021-00291-6
Nieforth, L.O. & O’Haire, M.E. (2020). The role of pets in managing uncertainty from COVID-19. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. doi: 10.1037/tra0000678
Nieforth, L., Craig, E. (2020). Patient-centered communication (PCC) in equine assisted mental health. Health Communication. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2020.1785376
Craig, E., Nieforth, L., & Rosenfeld, C. (2020). Communicating resilience among adolescents with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) through equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP). Western Communication. doi: 10.1080/10570314.2020.1754451
Leanne Nieforth, PhD 