Therapeutic and Economic Benefits of Service Dogs Versus Emotional Support Dogs for Veterans With PTSD.
Psychiatr Serv
; 74(8): 790-800, 2023 08 01.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36718602
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
This work aimed to assess the therapeutic and economic benefits of service dogs versus emotional support dogs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).METHODS:
Veterans with PTSD (N=227) participating in a multicenter trial were randomly assigned to receive a service or emotional support dog; 181 veterans received a dog and were followed up for 18 months. Primary outcomes included overall functioning (assessed with World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale II [WHODAS 2.0]) and quality of life (Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey [VR-12]). Secondary outcomes included PTSD symptoms (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5), suicidal ideation, depression, sleep quality, health care costs and utilization, medication adherence, employment, and productivity.RESULTS:
Participants paired with a dog had a mean±SD age of 50.6±13.6 years (range 22-79), and most were male (80%), White (66%), and non-Hispanic (91%). Adjusted linear mixed repeated-measures models indicated no difference between the two groups on WHODAS 2.0 or VR-12 scores. Participants with service dogs had a 3.7-point greater reduction in PTSD symptoms versus participants with emotional support dogs (p=0.036). No reduced health care utilization or cost was associated with receiving a service dog. Veterans with service dogs had an increase of 10 percentage points in antidepressant adherence compared with those with emotional support dogs (p<0.01).CONCLUSIONS:
Both groups appeared to benefit from having a service or emotional support dog. No significant differences in improved functioning or quality of life were observed between the groups. Those in the service dog group had a greater reduction in PTSD symptoms and better antidepressant adherence, improvements that should be explored further.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático
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Veteranos
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Terapia Asistida por Animales
Tipo de estudio:
Health_economic_evaluation
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Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Adult
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Aged
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Animals
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Psychiatr Serv
Asunto de la revista:
PSIQUIATRIA
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article