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

October 21, 2024 updated by: Maggie O'Haire, University of Arizona
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).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

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.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
170

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Arizona
      • Tucson, Arizona, United States, 85721
        • University of Arizona

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

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.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Service Dog
Participants in the service dog arm will receive unrestricted, non-study usual care, in addition to a trained service dog.
Behavioral: Service Dog
A service dog trained to perform tasks that are specific to PTSD
No Intervention: Waitlist Control
Participants in the control arm will receive unrestricted, non-study usual care, while on the waitlist for a service dog.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
PTSD Severity and Symptoms Via Self-report
Time Frame: 3 months
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-V (PCL-5); range 0-80; higher scores indicate worse outcome.
3 months
PTSD Severity and Symptoms Via Clinician Rating
Time Frame: 3 months
Clinician-Administered PTSD Assessment for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition DSM-V (CAPS-5); range 0-80; higher scores indicate worse outcome.
3 months
Depression
Time Frame: 3 months
Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v1.0 - Emotional Distress - Depression 8a; T-score range 38 to 81; 50 indicates the population mean with a standard deviation of 10; minimally important difference greater than or equal to 3 points; higher scores indicate worse outcome.
3 months
Anxiety
Time Frame: 3 months
Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v1.0 - Emotional Distress - Anxiety 8a; T-score range 37 to 83; 50 indicates the population mean with a standard deviation of 10; minimally important difference greater than or equal to 3 points; higher scores indicate worse outcome.
3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Social Isolation
Time Frame: 3 months
Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v2.0 - Social Isolation 8a; T-score range 33 to 76; 50 indicates the population mean with a standard deviation of 10; higher scores indicate worse outcome.
3 months
Companionship
Time Frame: 3 months
Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v2.0 - Companionship 6a; T-score range 24 to 64; 50 indicates the population mean with a standard deviation of 10; higher scores indicate better outcome
3 months
Ability to Participate in Social Activities
Time Frame: 3 months
Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v2.0 - Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities 8a; T-score range 25 to 65; 50 indicates the population mean with a standard deviation of 10; higher scores indicate better outcome.
3 months
Mental Health Quality of Life
Time Frame: 3 months
Veterans Rand 12-item Health Survey (VR-12) - Mental Health Component; range 0-100; higher scores indicate better outcome.
3 months
Psychological Well-being
Time Frame: 3 months
Bradburn Scale of Psychological Wellbeing (BSPW); range -5 to 5; higher scores indicate better outcome.
3 months
Life Satisfaction
Time Frame: 3 months
Satisfaction with Life Scale (SLS); range 3-35; higher scores indicate better outcome.
3 months
Resilience
Time Frame: 3 months
Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CDRS); range 0-40; higher scores indicate better outcome.
3 months
Anger
Time Frame: 3 months
Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v1.1 - Emotional Distress - Anger 5a; T-score range 32-82; 50 indicates the population mean with a standard deviation of 10; higher scores indicate worse outcome.
3 months
Daily Socio-emotional Experiences
Time Frame: 3 months
Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) Social interaction quality; range 0-6; higher score indicates better outcome.
3 months

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Work and Activity Participation
Time Frame: 3 months
Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAIQ)
3 months
Suicidal Ideation
Time Frame: 3 months
Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSRS)
3 months
Sleep Quality
Time Frame: 3 months
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Assessment (PSQI)
3 months
Sleep Disturbance
Time Frame: 3 months
Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Adult Short Form (SF) v1.0 - Sleep Disturbance 8a
3 months
Sleep Actigraphy
Time Frame: 3 months
Actiwatch 2 (Philips Respironics)
3 months
Salivary Cortisol Awakening Response
Time Frame: 3 months
Passive drool method (Salimetrics)
3 months
Electrodermal Activity (Skin Conductance)
Time Frame: 3 months
Embrace wristband (Empatica, Inc.)
3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Arizona

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Marguerite O'Haire, Ph.D., University of Arizona

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 1, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 4, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 4, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 5, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 7, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 10, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 23, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 21, 2024

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 1R21HD091896-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • R21HD091896-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Clinical Trials on Service Dog

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings