“A Part of Our Family”? Effects of Psychiatric Service Dogs on Quality of Life and Relationship Functioning in Military-Connected Couples

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can have corrosive impacts on family relationships and individual functioning. Emerging evidence has shown that psychiatric service dogs may be an effective complementary treatment for military veterans with PTSD, benefiting veterans’ mental and social health. However, few studies have examined the effects of psychiatric service dogs on the family members of veterans, specifically their partners. Mixed-methods data from 60 veteran-partner dyads examined individual and relationship functioning among partners of veterans paired with a service dog (service dog group; n = 37) and those awaiting placement (waitlist group; n = 23). While there were no statistically significant differences across groups, the effect sizes for group differences suggested that partners in the service dog group (relative to those on the waitlist) may experience higher levels of resilience and companionship, and lower levels of anger, social isolation, and work impairment. A topical survey of partner qualitative data within the service dog group indicated that service dogs provided more benefits than challenges. Partners reported improvements in veteran functioning, family relationships, and partners’ quality of life. Results, although preliminary, suggest that psychiatric service dogs may provide modest positive experiences for some veteran family systems.

Keywords:

• Posttraumatic stress disorder
• families and children
• military couples
• psychiatric service dogs
• family systems
• human-animal interaction
• animal-assisted intervention
• veterans

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Virginia Behmer for contributions during qualitative data coding and K9s For Warriors for assistance conducting this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflicts of interest were reported by the author(s).

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [MO], upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

MEO & KER: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Clinical and Translational Sciences Award under Grant Numbers KL2TR001106 and UL1TR001108 (A. Shekhar, PI); Newman’s Own Foundation; and Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine. LAM: This material is the result of work supported with resources and the use of facilities at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. SMW & CEM: This work was supported by grants from the Lilly Endowment Inc. (#20160704, MacDermid Wadsworth, PI) and the Defense Health Program (#W81XWH-14-0325, MacDermid Wadsworth, PI). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders. The contents do not represent the views of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.