Companion Dogs & Mental Health
Companion Dogs Mental Health
Are you aware of the benefits of Companion Dogs and other
pets?
Common benefits of having companion animals as pets.
1. Companion dogs help with mental health
2. Companion Dogs can help you reduce stress
3. Social and physical health benefits to owning a pet
According to the Frontiers in Vet Science.
A psychiatric assistance dog (PAD)
A PAD is a service dog trained to assist its handler (owner). Because the handler is someone who has been diagnosed with a mental health condition. Such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder.
Surprisingly, Literature searches reveal that little is known about the population of people who own PADs, the types of dogs used or the functions they provide.
Did you know that one third (n = 199) of PAD owners in Australia registered with the charity “mindDog”. They participated in an online survey designed to better understand the person and dog team.
How Participants learned about PADs
The top 3 avenues were
1. Through the internet (37%),
2. Health care practitioners (32%),
3. Family or friends (30%).
The dogs in the sample were of varying age, gender and breed. So the most common reasons for people to choose a PAD dog were temperament (60%) and size/weight (48%).
Dogs acquired by the owner specifically to be trained as a PAD. Were just under half (48%). With the balance being existing pets.
All the dogs were trained by the owner or a combination of the owner and a qualified trainer. None were trained exclusively by assistance/service dog provider organizations.
The median age of the participants was 47 years. Ranging from 10 to 75 years.
Most (77%) identified as female.
Mental Health issues that benefited from a PAD are:
- Depression (84%)
- Anxiety (social 61%; generalized 60%)
- PTSD (62%)
- Panic attacks (57%) were the most reported mental health diagnoses.
what Tasks did the Companion dogs perform for their owners?
- Reduction of anxiety through tactile stimulation (94%)
- Nudging/pawing to bring back to the present (71%)
- Interrupting undesirable behavior (51%)
- Constant body contact (50%)
- Deep pressure stimulation (45%)
- Blocking contact from other people (42%)
PAD usage decreased (46%), increased (30%) or did not change (24%) participants’ use of psychiatric or other health care services.
Decrease in service use was mainly due to reduced suicide attempts, and less requirement for hospitalization and medication. While increased use was mainly due to enhanced ability to attend appointments.
Results of this study – Companion Dogs & Mental Health
As a result PAD owners have differing mental health diagnoses. Their dogs perform different tasks to support them in daily life.
Every participant described the relationship with his/her PAD as positive. Suggesting that a successful working partnership does not require the dog to have been bred or raised specifically for the role.
As more data becomes available. A better understanding of this population and the person-dog relationship will inform the appropriate choice, training and use of PADs for people living with mental health problems.
Like to learn more visit Frontiers in Vet Science.
If would like to write an article outlining your own experience having a companion dog. Please contact us HERE!