Taming Anxiety: Integrating Equine-Assisted Learning and Peer Mentorship to Support Rural Adolescent Mental Health

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 3:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Meditation, Mindfulness, and Educational Transformation

Abstract

Alongside rapid developmental changes, adolescents simultaneously seek agency, identity, and social acceptance while simultaneously experiencing increases in anxiety, which was worsened by COVID-19 (Sugarman, 2017). (Guessoum, et al., 2020; Racine et al., 2021). This mixed methods study sought to address adolescent mental health deficits exacerbated by COVID-19 in rural Montana through a novel intervention combining cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction strategies (MBSR) with Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) (Beck, 2021; Kabat-Zinn, 1990). The results of this study indicated significant improvements in participant mental health outcomes and cortisol levels, which were further supported by qualitative data of participant perspectives.

Authors

• Lauren Davis, Montana State University

• Christine Stanton, Montana State University