BigStock A randomized clinical trial funded by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Pet Partners found that therapy dog visits were associated with “greater immediate improvement in loneliness” among adults hospitalized for acute mental illness compared with standard care or visits from a person alone. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, involved 60 psychiatric inpatients who received daily 20-minute sessions over three days. Participants were assigned to standard treatment, a visit from a therapy dog and handler, or a visit from the handler alone. Loneliness scores declined most significantly in the therapy dog group, with dog-owning participants showing more sustained effects. “Our results suggest therapy dogs uniquely contribute to the amelioration of loneliness, in this case, in patients with mental illness,” says principal investigator Nancy Gee, PhD. Additional commentary from Pet Partners and HABRI emphasized the relevance of the findings for hospital-based animal-assisted interventions. The authors note that loneliness is a known risk factor for poorer health outcomes in people with serious mental illness. Veterinary professionals interested in the methodology and outcomes can review the full study in Frontiers in Psychiatry.
