A scoping review of outcome evaluations of universal programs that incorporate live animals to promote the social and emotional competencies of children and youth

Children and youth who are socially and emotionally competent are better prepared to succeed in school and in life. To help children and youth develop social and emotional competencies (SECs), the use of universal programs that incorporate live animals has been suggested. Outcome evaluations of these programs are underway to determine the effectiveness of the programs. There is a need to review the literature on outcome evaluations on universal programs that incorporate live animals to promote the SECs of children and youth to keep scholars abreast of these evaluations and to chart directions for future research on these programs. Thus, the aims of the present scoping review were to identify outcome evaluations of universal programs that incorporated live animals to promote the SECs of children and youth, and to summarize the structural dimensions of the programs and the methods used to evaluate their outcomes. Three academic databases were searched for relevant publications published between Jan. 1, 1990 and Dec. 31, 2020. The reference lists of the publications included were also screened for additional relevant publications. Data were extracted from the publications regarding: (i) demographic characteristics of the publication (e.g., year of publication, type of publication), (ii) structural dimensions of the program (e.g., design, animal species that was incorporated, SECs promoted), and (iii) methods used in the outcome evaluation (e.g., design, characteristics of program implementation, and outcomes). From an initial pool of 3,618, 22 unique publications were selected for inclusion in the scoping review. Screening the corresponding reference lists located an additional six publications for inclusion. In total, 28 unique publications were included for the scoping review. Analysis of the data revealed the emerging, interdisciplinary, and international nature of the research on these programs. In addition, variability was found in the structural dimensions of the programs and of the outcome evaluations. The study findings indicate the need for continued research on universal programs that incorporate live animals to promote the SECs of children and youth and for greater rigour in the design and evaluation of these programs. The implications of the study for future research are discussed.Education, Faculty ofEducational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department ofGraduat