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An Exploratory Assessment of Service Dog Training for the Treatment of Military Members with Posttraumatic Stress: A
Kalyn C Jannace1,2, Michelle Nordstrom1,3, Shannon Fichter1,2
1Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, Center for Advanced Research for Military Optimization, Readiness, and Rehabilitation, Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD.
Objective:
To assess the impact of a Service Dog Training Program (SDTP) on PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms among military beneficiaries experiencing PTSD.
Design:
Nonrandomized, nonblinded, pre-post interventional clinical trial conducted between 2019 and 2022; analysis complete 2023.
Setting:
Recruitment, screening, consent, and enrollment were conducted between March 2019 and August 2022. Active duty military, veterans, and military dependents were recruited from clinics at 2 major military hospitals in the National Capital Region.
Participants:
Received care in the Military Health System, ages 18 and 65 years, clinical diagnosis of PTSD or posttraumatic stress, or 30 or higher on the PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL-5); diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, unspecified trauma, unspecified anxiety, or adjustment disorder.
Interventions:
Participants completed assessments weekly for 4 weeks prior to beginning the intervention, which consisted of twice-weekly SDTP sessions for 6 additional weeks for a total study time of 10 weeks.
Main Outcome And Measures:
Primary: PTSD, anxiety, and depression as measured with the PCL-5 (0-80, higher scores indicate higher symptoms), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7, 0-21, higher scores indicate higher symptoms), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9, 0-27, higher scores indicate higher symptoms).
Results:
The 118 SDTP participants were, on average, 37.8 (±SD, 11.6) years old, male (57.6%), white (56.8%), employed (82.2%), and had a history of military service (97.5%). Post-SDTP intervention, mean score differences were -5.8 (95% CI, -8.4 to -3.1), -1.5 (95% CI, -0.7 to -2.3), and -1.2 (95% CI, -2.0 to -0.4) for the PCL-5, GAD-7, and PHQ-9, respectively.
Conclusions:
Following completion of the SDTP, participants reported significantly lower psychological impairment. The results of this study support the use of a structured SDTP as an engaging adjunct to existing clinical care for military-connected individuals experiencing PTSD and other psychological symptoms.