Dog-assisted intervention significantly reduces anxiety in hospitalized patients with major depression

Abstract 

Introduction

Animal-assisted therapies involve interaction between patients and an animal with the aim of improving mental wellbeing and diminishing anxiety and agitation in patients. To date, few pilot studies focusing on animal-assisted therapeutic effects have met minimal standards of research design and have included standardized outcome variables or physiological measures, depicting the need for scientific research on animal-assisted therapy.

Methods

In this pre- and post-treatment controlled crossover study we measured state anxiety with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), a brief, easy-to-administer self-report measure that is widely used in research and clinical practice. Twelve acutely depressed patients (six male; age: 40.5±10 years) participated after giving written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki after the study had been explained in detail.

Results

The STAI state score was significantly reduced after the presence of a dog (47.0±11 versus 42.2±10) (Z=−2.402; p=0.016) which was not the case after the control condition without the presence of a dog (50.41±10 versus 48.0±9) (Z=−0.981; p=0.327).

Conclusion

This finding suggests that animal-assisted therapy causes highly significant reductions of state anxiety. Presence of dogs may offer an additional therapeutic benefit that might decrease anxiety and enhance psychotherapeutic strategies and motivation of patients and therapists.

Keywords: Major depression, Dogs, Animal-assisted therapy, Anxiety, Pets