Service Dog Training Interventions for Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress: Examining Gender-Based Differences in...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Veterans' Health
• Animal-Assisted Interventions

Background:

• Veterans often experience poor mental health, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Canine-assisted interventions show promise for improving veterans' psychological and social well-being.
• A prior study indicated PTSD improvements from both service dog training and virtual dog training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a post hoc analysis of pooled data from a randomized controlled trial.
• To investigate gender-based differences in psychosocial outcomes following altruistic service dog training programs.

Main Methods:

• Veterans (N=59) participated in 8-week hands-on or virtual dog training programs.
• Self-reported psychosocial measures were collected pre- and post-intervention.
• Mixed-effect linear models analyzed the interaction between time and gender on psychosocial outcomes.

Main Results:

• Female participants showed significantly greater psychosocial improvements than male participants.
• These improvements included reduced PTSD, perceived stress, and enhanced perceived physical health.
• Female veterans reported increased closeness and decreased avoidance in relationships, with moderate to large effect sizes (d=0.47-0.70).

Conclusions:

• Exploratory analysis suggests female veterans benefit more from service dog training programs.
• The study's secondary nature and small sample size limit definitive causal conclusions.
• Future research should explore tailoring interventions for gender-specific needs and other influencing factors like combat exposure.