Impact of Dog Adoption and Training in Veterans With Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms and/or Other Mental Health Conditions
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Dog training.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Mental Health Conditions. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Assessment of Biopsychosocial Indicators Linked to Canine Intervention Treatment Response in Veterans With Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms and/or Other Mental Health Conditions
Overview
The goal of this single-arm study is to learn if a dog adoption and training program can treat, prevent in \[describe participant population/primary condition; could include any of the following: sex/gender, age groups, healthy volunteers\]. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the dog adoption and training program decrease posttraumatic stress symptoms in veterans with self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms? * Does the dog adoption and training program decrease stress and improve psychosocial health in veterans with self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms? * Does the dog adoption and training program decrease inflammation, increase oxytocin, and change the structure and resting-state function of specific brain regions in veterans with self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms? Participants will: * Attend eight one-hour professional dog training sessions within a 10-week period. * Visit the clinical research unit four times during the study for data collection.
Interventions
- Other Dog training
Eight, one-hour professional dog training sessions over 8-10 weeks
Primary outcome measures
- Change in self-reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
Secondary outcome measures (11)
- Change in depression symptom severity from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
- Change in anxiety symptom severity from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
- Change in perceived stress severity from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
- Change in sleep disturbance from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
- Change in loneliness from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
- Change in alcohol use from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
- Change in cannabis use from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
- Change in salivary oxytocin levels from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
- Change in Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
- Change in Interleukin-6 (IL-6) from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
- Change in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) from baseline to 4 weeks post-intervention [Time frame: From enrollment to 4 weeks post-intervention]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Military veteran with self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms and/or other mental health conditions
- Over 18 years of age
- Applied and approved to adopt a shelter dog for training through the Humane Society of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- English speaker (written and spoken)
- Home internet access via tablet, computer or smartphone.
Exclusion criteria
- Fear of dogs
- Allergies to pet dander
- Uncorrected hearing or visual impairment.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Other
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Florida Atlantic University — Boca Raton
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07542431 · IRB2310227