Can Animal Assisted Interventions counteract apathy and improve physical activity levels in psychiatric patients with cognitive disability? A case study

Patients with psychiatric disorders experience a reduced quality of life also due to the antipsychotic drugs assumed, that negatively affects their cognitive abilities. A healthy lifestyle, such as physical activity, can improve both functional abilities and mental health of patients with a dual diagnosis, psychiatric and cognitive. Despite this knowledge, these people are more sedentary than the general population, probably because of their apathy, core aspects of the illness. Animal Assisted Interventions (AAIs) seem to be a valid tool to stimulate them to practice physical exercise thanks to the empathy generated by the relationship with the animal.