Interest of Animal-assisted Therapy With Dogs in the Treatment of Depression

This study is a randomized controlled trial (comparing "occupational activities" versus "dog-assisted therapy" arms) investigating the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy with dogs in small groups of participants with depression. Patients in the "dog-assisted therapy" arm will participate in two group sessions (groups of 3 to 7 participants) of canine-assisted therapy, supervised by a healthcare professional certified in animal-assisted therapy alongside a psychiatric caregiver, for 30 minutes each week over 6 weeks. Patients in the "occupational activities" arm will participate in two group sessions (groups of 3 to 7 participants) of occupational activities, supervised by a healthcare professional experienced in group occupational activities alongside a psychiatric caregiver, for 30 minutes each week over 6 weeks.