{"id":3873,"date":"2019-12-18T21:59:39","date_gmt":"2019-12-18T21:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.net\/blog\/?p=3873"},"modified":"2021-05-03T19:35:14","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T19:35:14","slug":"the-runaway-concept-of-an-emotional-support-animal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/12\/the-runaway-concept-of-an-emotional-support-animal\/","title":{"rendered":"The Runaway Concept of an Emotional Support Animal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>From:\u00a0 https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2019\/12\/15\/emotional-support-animal-certification.aspx<\/p>\n<p>Analysis by <a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/dr-karen-becker.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dr. Karen Shaw Becker \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/a>December 15, 2019<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-title\">\n<section class=\"post-details\">\n<div class=\"social-icons-top\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-date\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<nav class=\"post-nav\">\n<div id=\"divPreviousbutton\">\n<div class=\"more-article\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"bcr_imgStory\" src=\"https:\/\/media.mercola.com\/ImageServer\/Public\/2019\/December\/Nonlead\/emotional-support-animal-thumb.jpg\" alt=\"emotional support animal\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"bcr_UpdPnlStory\">\n<div id=\"bcr_pnlStoryAtAGlance\" class=\"story-glance\">\n<div class=\"story-highlights\">\n<h3 id=\"expanderHead\" data-jsid=\"expanderHead\">STORY AT-A-GLANCE<\/h3>\n<div id=\"expanderContent\" data-jsid=\"expanderContent\">\n<ul>\n<li><span id=\"bcr_rptStory_cslStory_0\">Emotional support animals (ESAs) seem to be everywhere these days, but the issue is not without controversy<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"bcr_rptStory_cslStory_1\">Researchers at the University of New Mexico have developed a standard assessment for therapists asked to provide patients with ESA certificates<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"bcr_rptStory_cslStory_2\">The proposal answers the need for ethical guidelines around ESAs<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"bcr_rptStory_cslStory_3\">If the proposal is adopted as an industry standard, it will become more difficult for individuals to receive ESA certifications, but will benefit society as a whole from the standpoint of safety<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"bodytext\" class=\"bodytextdiv\">\n<p>By now almost everyone is familiar with the concept of an emotional support animal (ESA), and chances are, many of you have already encountered an ESA in a formerly \u201canimal-free zone.\u201d Or perhaps you or someone in your family or circle of friends has a dog, cat, bird, or other animal companion who serves as an ESA.<\/p>\n<h2>How ESAs Differ From Service Animals<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2015\/05\/14\/emotional-support-animal.aspx\">Emotional support animals<\/a>, according to the Fair Housing Act and Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), can be any species of animal, who must fulfill a disability-related need and whose use is supported by a physician, psychiatrist or mental health professional.<\/p>\n<p>ESAs don\u2019t qualify as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2019\/10\/17\/service-dogs.aspx\">Service animals<\/a>\u00a0are highly trained and can receive certifications as psychiatric service dogs to help people who suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia and other mental conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Emotional support animals, on the other hand, don\u2019t require specific training to provide assistance to someone with a psychological disability. However, they may be permitted in housing facilities that would otherwise prohibit animals, and the ACAA allows some ESAs to travel on airlines at no extra cost, often with supportive documentation required.<\/p>\n<p>As you might expect, there\u2019s growing controversy surrounding the appearance of ESAs in ever-increasing numbers in locations that have traditionally been off-limits to animals. Sadly, the backlash isn\u2019t surprising given that more than a few people have taken advantage of the special access granted to ESAs, falsely claiming their pet is necessary for emotional support.<\/p>\n<h2>Researchers Propose a Standard Assessment to Certify ESAs<\/h2>\n<p>Recently, researchers at the University of New Mexico published an article in the journal Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, outlining the ethical challenges therapists face when asked to certify emotional support animals for their patients, and offering possible solutions to better serve both people who feel they need ESAs and those who must comply with the animals, such as landlords and airlines.<sup><span id=\"edn1\" data-hash=\"#ednref1\">1<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>The research team developed and is proposing a four-prong standard assessment for therapists when asked by patients to provide an ESA certificate:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Understanding, recognizing and applying the laws regulating ESAs.<\/li>\n<li>A thorough valid assessment of the individual requesting an ESA certification.<\/li>\n<li>An assessment of the animal in question to ensure it actually performs the valid functions of an ESA.<\/li>\n<li>An assessment of the interaction between the animal and the individual to determine whether the animal&#8217;s presence has a demonstrably beneficial effect on that individual.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Assessment Will Address Whether the ESA Is Able to Do What It\u2019s Being Asked to Do<\/h2>\n<p>The proposed assessment involves not just the patient, but the animal as well.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cSomebody has to certify that the animal is able to do what you&#8217;re asking it to do,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0says lead article author Jeffrey Younggren, a forensic psychologist and clinical professor at the University of New Mexico\u2019s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.\u00a0<em>\u201cAnd there are avenues by which animals can be evaluated regarding their capacity for these kinds of experiences.\u201d<sup><span id=\"edn2\" data-hash=\"#ednref2\">2<\/span><\/sup><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>There\u2019s no shortage of horror stories of encounters with emotional support animals, especially during\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2018\/06\/28\/united-pet-travel-restrictions.aspx\">air travel<\/a>, and Younggren and his colleagues believe that implementing standardized guidelines and practices will reduce the number of incidents.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cOur research has nothing to do with service animals,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Younggren clarifies.\u00a0<em>\u201cSeeing eye dogs and\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2016\/01\/23\/behavior-around-service-dog-team.aspx\"><em>therapy dogs<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0are animals that help individuals manage their disabilities in certain situations \u2014 but that\u2019s not what an ESA is. An ESA is an example of a well-intended idea that has metastasized and developed into a world of nonsense.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Proposal Answers the Need for Ethical Guidelines Around ESAs<\/h2>\n<p>Paper co-author Cassandra Boness, a University of Missouri Ph.D. candidate, says the proposed assessment will better align ESA certifications with professional and legal practices, while also providing guidelines for mental health therapists.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cOne of our biggest goals is to disseminate this information in order to better educate mental health providers, as well as policy writers, about the need for ethical guidelines around ESAs,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Boness said.<sup><span id=\"edn3\" data-hash=\"#ednref3\">3<\/span><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Importantly, mental health practitioners who aren\u2019t knowledgeable about the law may not realize that when they write an ESA certification letter for a patient, legally it constitutes a disability determination that becomes part of the patient\u2019s permanent medical record. Per the UNM Newsroom publication:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cCurrently, in order to receive waivers for housing or travel purposes where animals are banned, the law requires patients must have a mental or emotional condition diagnosable by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><em>If patients are given certifications for an ESA, it means they, and the therapist signing the certification, are declaring the patient to be psychologically disabled with significant impairment in functioning.\u201d<sup><span id=\"edn4\" data-hash=\"#ednref4\">4<\/span><\/sup><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The proposed assessment will require ESA certifiers to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the person requesting the certification to determine if they have a disability under the DSM-5, according to Younggren.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cThat disability has to substantially interfere with the patient\u2019s ability to function, which is what the ADA requires,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0he explains.\u00a0<em>\u201cAnd the presence of the animal has to ameliorate the condition, which means you have to see the person with the animal.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If the proposal is adopted as an industry standard, it will become more difficult for individuals to receive ESA certifications, but will benefit society as a whole from a safety perspective.<\/p>\n<h2>Moving Forward<\/h2>\n<p>The researchers are hopeful their work will spur more research on the impact of emotional support animals on patients in order to build a larger body of scientific evidence.<\/p>\n<p>The important takeaway here is that no one is arguing that pets provide both physical and mental health benefits to humans \u2014 those facts are well-estab\u00adlished and backed up with an ever-growing library of scientific studies.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2016\/11\/10\/emotional-support-animals.aspx\">human-animal bond<\/a>\u00a0is real and describes the powerful, positive interaction that exists between people and animals. It\u2019s not just about companionship \u2014 it\u2019s about a deep connection that enhances the quality of life of both humans and animals.<\/p>\n<p>The issue is that in a civilized society, it\u2019s necessary to develop and enforce guidelines and standards that benefit the many rather than the few. It\u2019s also important to evaluate current trends, in this case the growing use of ESAs, for potential short and long-term consequences to the animals and humans involved in these pairings, as well as society as a whole.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From:\u00a0 https:\/\/healthypets.mercola.com\/sites\/healthypets\/archive\/2019\/12\/15\/emotional-support-animal-certification.aspx Analysis by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 December 15, 2019 &nbsp; STORY AT-A-GLANCE Emotional support animals (ESAs) seem to be everywhere these days, but the issue is not without controversy Researchers at the University of New Mexico have developed a standard assessment for therapists asked to provide [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,9,12,117,33,25,118,134],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-animals-with-jobs","category-cats","category-dogs","category-emotional-support-animals","category-human-animal-bond","category-service-animals","category-therapy-animals","category-travel-with-pets"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Runaway Concept of an Emotional Support Animal | The Animal Health Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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