Yarborough Bobbi Jo H, Owen-Smith Ashli A, Stumbo Scott P, Yarborough Micah T, Perrin Nancy A, Green Carla A
With the exception of Dr. Owen-Smith, the authors are with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, Oregon (e-mail:
Psychiatr Serv. 2017 Jul 1;68(7):730-734. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201500383. Epub 2017 Mar 15.
This study examined needs related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), assistance by service dogs, and feasibility of data collection among veterans receiving service dogs.
Questionnaires assessed PTSD-related needs and services performed or expected to be performed by service dogs among 78 veterans who had or were on a wait list for a service dog (average age, 42; women, 31%). Analyses compared pre-post characteristics among 22 veterans who received a service dog as part of the study (91% follow-up; average follow-up=3.37±2.57 months).
Veterans reported that the most important services performed were licking or nudging veterans to help them "stay present," preventing panic, and putting space between veterans and strangers. High follow-up rates and improvements in outcomes with moderate to large effect sizes among recipients of study-provided dogs suggest further study is warranted.
Service dogs may be feasible supports for veterans with PTSD; randomized clinical trials are needed to assess effectiveness.
本研究调查了与创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）相关的需求、服务犬提供的帮助以及在接受服务犬的退伍军人中收集数据的可行性。
通过问卷调查评估了78名拥有服务犬或正在等待服务犬的退伍军人（平均年龄42岁；女性占31%）与PTSD相关的需求以及服务犬已提供或预期提供的服务。分析比较了22名作为研究一部分接受服务犬的退伍军人（随访率91%；平均随访时间=3.37±2.57个月）前后的特征。
退伍军人报告称，服务犬提供的最重要服务包括舔舐或轻推退伍军人以帮助他们“保持专注”、预防恐慌以及在退伍军人与陌生人之间留出空间。研究提供的服务犬接受者的高随访率以及中等至较大效应量的结果改善表明有必要进行进一步研究。
服务犬可能是支持患有PTSD的退伍军人的可行方式；需要进行随机临床试验来评估其有效性。
