A Pilot Study to Examine the Impact of a Therapy Dog Intervention on Loneliness and Related Health Outcomes in Vulnerable Populations

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Quality of Life; Loneliness; Depression; Anxiety

Treatments: Behavioral: Conversational control; Behavioral: Animal-assisted interaction

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05089201

HM20021567

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this research study is to test whether an animal-assisted interaction (AAI) intervention is better than conversation with another person or treatment as usual for improving mood, anxiety, loneliness, quality of life, and indicators of health care services such as number of hospitalizations, length of hospital stay, and cost of services. Participants will be patients admitted for an inpatient stay at Virginia Commonwealth University Health who meet the study entry requirements.

Full description

Participants will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to receive one of the following interventions:

1. Animal-assisted interaction (a dog-handler team will visit them in their hospital room)
2. Conversational interaction with just participants and the handler
3. Treatment as usual (the regular services patients are currently receiving in the hospital)

Participation in this study will last six months. This includes the three days on which participants will receive one of the interventions described above, plus completing some questionnaires online or by phone one month and six months after the baseline visit. These questionnaires will ask questions about pet ownership, relationship with pets participants have had, loneliness, depression, anxiety, health-related quality of life, significant life events in the past year, and social supports. Approximately 180 individuals will participate in this study.

Enrollment: 72 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years of age or older
• Projected to be admitted to the hospital for the upcoming four days
• Speak English
• Able to provide consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Fear of, or allergy to, dogs
• Documented contact precautions
• Cognitive impairment that prevents consent or completion of measures.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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72 participants in 3 patient groups

Animal-assisted interaction (AAI)

Experimental group

Description:

Dogs and handlers will visit with patients for 20 minutes and discuss semi-scripted topics.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Animal-assisted interaction

Conversational interaction

Active Comparator group

Description:

Handlers will have a 20 minute semi-scripted conversation with patients.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Conversational control

Treatment as usual

No Intervention group

Description:

Patients will receive treatment as usual.