Service Dog Pilot Study Results
Evaluating the effectiveness of service dogs for Veterans with PTSD
Results: The reported impacts for 18 veterans with PTSD after acquiring a service dog, include:
- Decreased nightmares, improved sleep and a slight increase in physical activity
- No reduction in medication use
- Moderate, long lasting reduction in depressive symptoms
- Improved Quality of Life, More social integration to the community
- Decreased PTSD symptoms
- No Reductions in reliance on a caregiver
The mental health and well-being of Veterans and their families is a priority for Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). We continue to monitor research on emerging and innovative therapies to best support the health and well-being of Veterans and their families.
We have heard from members of the Veterans community that there is great interest in using service dogs to assist Veterans with mental health conditions. However, research in this area was limited. That is why VAC funded a pilot study to evaluate if service dogs can be used as a safe and effective support for Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The research team, led by Dr. Claude Vincent of Laval University, recently completed the study which followed Veterans over the course of an 18-month period (i.e., 6 months prior to receiving the service dog to 12 months after acquisition).
The study reports positive impacts for Veterans with PTSD after acquiring the service dog including decreased nightmares, improved sleep, fewer depressive symptoms and more social integration in the community.
To obtain a copy of the report, please contact the Research Directorate at
vac.research-recherche.acc@canada.ca.