The Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy Incorporating Buckwheat on the Happiness and Stress of Family Members of Patients with Dementia

This study aimed to examine the effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy incorporating buckwheat on the happiness and stress levels of family members of patients with dementia. The program was conducted over 10 sessions, each lasting 120 minutes. Participants included 24 elderly individuals aged 65 and older who met the criteria of the happiness and stress scales, and were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 12) or the control group (n = 12). Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0. Homogeneity between groups was tested using the Mann-Whitney U test, and differences between pre- and post-intervention scores were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results showed that the experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in happiness and reductions in stress, while the control group exhibited increased stress and decreased happiness. These findings suggest that Animal-Assisted Therapy incorporating buckwheat had a positive effect on the happiness and stress levels of elderly individuals.