Quantifying the Efficacy and Role of Service Dogs for Military Veterans With PTSD

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

The purpose of this study is to quantify the therapeutic efficacy and role of trained service dogs on socio-emotional functioning among military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The long-term research goal is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of service dogs as a complementary intervention to enhance biopsychosocial functioning in special populations. The objective is to conduct a methodologically rigorous trial to quantify the therapeutic efficacy of service dogs on clinically-important outcomes for veterans with PTSD. Based on preliminary findings and qualitative reports, the central hypothesis is that military veterans with PTSD who are provided service dogs will experience reduced PTSD symptoms related to socio-emotional functioning and arousal modulation. The rationale for this research is that its successful completion will provide an evidence-based demonstration of the efficacy and role of an increasingly used yet poorly tested complementary intervention. The completion of this project is expected to established an initial demonstration of the therapeutic efficacy of service dogs in this population, as well as possible mechanisms of action via specific biological pathways and human-canine interaction profiles.

Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-V (CAPS-5) assessments will be completed via telephone by a trained CAPS-5 rater who will be masked to the intervention and treatment arm of each participant.

Participants in the service dog arm will receive unrestricted, non-study usual care, in addition to a trained service dog.

Participants in the control arm will receive unrestricted, non-study usual care, while on the waitlist for a service dog.

Clinician-Administered PTSD Assessment for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition DSM-V (CAPS-5)

Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v1.0 - Emotional Distress - Depression 8a

Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v1.0 - Emotional Distress - Anxiety 8a

Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v2.0 - Social Isolation 8a

Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v2.0 - Companionship 6a

Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v2.0 - Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities 8a

Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v1.1 - Emotional Distress - Anger 5a

Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v1.0 - Sleep Disturbance 8a

Inclusion criteria for veterans into the study will include: Applied for and approved to receive a dog from K9s For Warriors Military service on or after September 11, 2001 Honorable discharge or current honorable service Diagnosis of PTSD No conviction of any crimes against animals.