Although it is known that equine-assisted interventions (EAI) have beneficial effects on human participants, the effects on horses have not been extensively studied. This study investigated the effects of EAI with military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), on the heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and behaviour of the involved horses. In total six different horses were deployed multiple times during a 12-week program of EAI for veterans with PTSD. The HR and HRV were measured during baseline conditions, free activities and directed activities.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent and debilitating condition among military service members and veterans, often co-occurring with moral injury (MI) and spiritual distress (SD). While conventional PTSD treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure-based therapies, and pharmacological interventions, growing evidence suggests that spirituality may play a vital role in improving PTSD outcomes.

Background: Rescue teams and emergency services face high levels of mental health problems due to their frequent exposure to traumatic situations. Critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) is widely used as a psychological intervention for emergency responders and military personnel exposed to traumatic events. However, its effectiveness remains controversial, with systematic reviews yielding mixed results and some evidence of negative and harmful outcomes.

Prolonged grief disorder is a mental health disorder recently included in diagnostic manuals worldwide. This Review presents published research evidence in strong support for the current conceptualisation of prolonged grief disorder:
a diagnosable mental health condition with core symptoms of yearning, preoccupation, or both, which is associated with symptoms of emotional pain, identity disturbances, loss of meaning and purpose, and functional impairment.