Stress Responses to Therapy Dog Visits in the Emergency Department: A Nonrandomized Intervention Study

Emergency departments are high-stress clinical environments where health care workers are exposed to unpredictable patient acuity, trauma, workplace violence, and rapid decision making. Animal-assisted interventions have demonstrated benefits for patients, with emerging evidence suggesting potential value for reducing health care worker stress and improving emotional well-being. However, objective physiological outcomes and emergency department-specific data remain limited.

This descriptive, interventional study examined the association between therapy dog visits and perceived and physiological stress among emergency department health care workers. Patient- and nonpatient-facing staff completed measures of salivary cortisol, perceived stress, and blood pressure immediately before and after dog interactions. Participants also provided qualitative descriptions of their feelings pre- and postintervention.

A total of 76 staff members participated, accounting for 100 therapy dog interactions. Overall, pre- to postintervention changes in salivary cortisol were not statistically significant. Perceived stress decreased significantly for all participants (P < .001), and mean arterial pressure decreased at the α = 0.10 level. Qualitative findings revealed a shift from negative emotional states (stressed and overwhelmed) before dog visits to more positive emotions (calmer, happier, and reenergized) afterward.

Results of this study suggest that therapy dog visits were associated with lower perceived stress and were well received by staff. Pet therapy may be considered as 1 component of broader organizational strategies to support health care workers in high-stress clinical environments. Therapy dog programs may represent a feasible, low-cost approach for promoting a supportive healing environment.