Trained Service Dogs a Complementary Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Written by Angeline A. De Leon, Staff Writer. Service dogs may confer benefits as a complementary or integrative treatment option among military members and veterans with PTSD.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition associated with the experience of a traumatic event and characterized by feelings of severe anxiety, fear, and flashbacks, is particularly common among military members and veterans ¹. Among military veterans, PTSD is commonly comorbid with other conditions such as depression and substance abuse ^2,3. Given that traditional treatment programs for PTSD suffer from high dropout and nonresponse rates of up to 50% ⁴, there appears to be a need a for alternative and/or complementary treatment options for veterans. One such option involves the use of specially trained PTSD service dogs which are trained to perform specific commands related to the psychiatric needs of the patient ⁵. For example, service dogs may help alleviate symptoms of PTSD by waking up patients during nightmares or “watching” their back while out in public together ⁶. PTSD service dogs may also ease hypervigilant behavior and feelings of isolation ⁷. Although evidence for the clinical utility of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) is growing, there is a lack of empirical studies on the efficacy of service dogs for PTSD ⁸. Thus, researchers at Purdue University (2018) set out to evaluate the impact of psychiatric service dogs on the emotional functioning and quality of life of military veterans with PTSD. ⁹

A total of 141 military members and veterans with PTSD (mean age = 37.1 years) were enrolled in a non-randomized efficacy trial using both cross-sectional and longitudinal assessments. A group of 66 subjects were assigned to usual care alone (typically evidence-based treatment), and a group of 75 subjects received a PTSD service dog in addition to usual care and participated in a 3-week training class with their service dog. PTSD symptoms were evaluated at baseline (between 2 months and 2.4 years), during the waitlist period prior to service dog placement, immediately prior to service dog placement, 3-weeks post service dog placement, and at home follow-up. PTSD was assessed using the PTSD Checklist (PCL), along with depression, quality of life, and social and work functioning.

Cross-sectional analyses indicated that compared to the usual care control group, subjects paired with service dogs had significantly lower PTSD symptoms with a medium effect size on the PCL (p < 0.001, d = -0.66). Relative to controls, the service dog group also exhibited lower depressive symptoms based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (p < 0.001, d = -0.74), higher quality of life based on the Satisfaction With Life Scale (p = 0.003, d = 0.59), and better social functioning based on The Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System social activities scale (p < 0.001, d = 0.70). Longitudinal analyses indicated clinically significant reductions in PCL scores (still above diagnostic cut-off) from baseline to 3 weeks following service dog placement (p < 0.001, d = -2.11) and from baseline to at home follow-up (p < 0.001, d = -1.03).

The current trial provides initial evidence for the clinical efficacy of using trained service dogs to help military members with PTSD. Evidence suggests that relative to usual treatment, a service dog program may be useful in reducing PTSD symptoms, improving depression, and boosting social functioning and overall quality of life. While not a substitute for standard evidence-based treatment, the use of service dogs may be a valuable complementary treatment for PTSD in the veteran population. A primary limitation of the current study involves a usual care control condition using heterogenous treatment protocols (including no treatment at all) with a variable number of sessions across participants. Subjects also used self-report measures and were self-selected based on their initial interest in working with service animals.

Source: O’Haire ME, Rodriguez KE. Preliminary efficacy of service dogs as a complementary treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder in military members and veterans. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2018; 86(2): 179-188. DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000267.

© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Angeline A. De Leon, MA, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010, completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in neuroscience. She received her master’s degree from The Ohio State University in 2013, where she studied clinical neuroscience within an integrative health program. Her specialized area of research involves the complementary use of neuroimaging and neuropsychology-based methodologies to examine how lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and meditation, can influence brain plasticity and enhance overall connectivity.

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