[Animal mediation and social bond: a psychosocial study in Ehpad]. / Médiation animale et lien social : une étude psychosociale en Ehpad.

Ehpad are French establishments intended to elderly people in a situation of physical and/or psychological loss of autonomy. Institutionalization in Ehpad is often synonymous with the disruption of social ties. In this context, different group activities are likely to favour the residents' relationships. Among these activities, animal mediation is an emerging approach that is gradually being introduced in these establishments. The aim of this research is to study the benefits of animal mediation on the social bond of Ehpad residents, according to animal mediation practitioners and professionals working in these establishments. Semi-directive interviews were carried out with nine professionals working in Ehpad in daily contact with the residents and who had attended collective sessions. These professionals were invited to give their views on the interactions between residents and on the benefits of the sessions. At the same time, fifty animal mediation practitioners responded to a questionnaire aimed at determining the place given to the development of social links in their practices. The professionals working in Ehpad described animal mediation as a practice that facilitates interactions during the sessions but also outside. For residents for whom verbalization is difficult or even impossible, animal mediation is presented as facilitating non-verbal communication. These comments converge with the discourse of animal mediation practitioners who place the creation of social links and the development of social skills at the heart of their practices. They highlight the central role of the animal which facilitates interactions and provides an emotional exchange.

How would I live with a disability? Expectations of bio-psychosocial consequences and assistive technology use.

PURPOSE: It is widely accepted that social dimensions are crucial when facing a disability. More specifically, a normative incentive to conceal one's disability, which can lead to abandonment of assistive technology devices (ATD), is often reported. This study seeks to examine this norm. METHOD: The expected consequences of having a disability were measured using a sample of 549 able-bodied students from three groups. RESULTS: The results showed that the expected consequences of having a disability and therefore the descriptive norms associated with disability were less negative for the participants who were familiar with disability, but higher for sports students. Furthermore, the relation between objective and subjective consequences (having a disability and feeling disabled, respectively) and public and private use of ATD were modelled. The model shows that both higher objective and lower subjective consequences were linked to higher ATD use in public and, indirectly, in private. CONCLUSION: The present study contributes to the literature on the normative elements related to the use of ATD. Indeed, it shows that when a person makes his/her disability a part of him/herself, she/he is expected to hide it and therefore to avoid using ATD. However, this assessment proves to be context-dependent and calls for the implementation of handicap awareness programs. Implications for Rehabilitation If faced with a disability, expecting to feel disabled and expecting lower objective consequences are linked to lower ATD use. Expected ATD use in private seems to be related to ATD use in public but not to the expected consequences of the disability. Expectations and therefore social norms about having a disability are highly context-dependent which encourages the implementation of handicap awareness programs.