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Purpose

The goal of this single-arm study is to learn if a dog adoption and training program can treat, prevent in [describe participant population/primary condition; could include any of the following: sex/gender, age groups, healthy volunteers]. The main questions it aims to answer are: - Does the dog adoption and training program decrease posttraumatic stress symptoms in veterans with self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms? - Does the dog adoption and training program decrease stress and improve psychosocial health in veterans with self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms? - Does the dog adoption and training program decrease inflammation, increase oxytocin, and change the structure and resting-state function of specific brain regions in veterans with self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms? Participants will: - Attend eight one-hour professional dog training sessions within a 10-week period. - Visit the clinical research unit four times during the study for data collection.

Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Military veteran with self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms and/or other mental health conditions - Over 18 years of age - Applied and approved to adopt a shelter dog for training through the Humane Society of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale, Florida - English speaker (written and spoken) - Home internet access via tablet, computer or smartphone.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Fear of dogs - Allergies to pet dander - Uncorrected hearing or visual impairment.

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
N/A
Intervention Model
Single Group Assignment
Primary Purpose
Other
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Study Intervention 		Within-subjects design
  • Other: Dog training
    Eight, one-hour professional dog training sessions over 8-10 weeks

Recruiting Locations

Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida 33431

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Florida Atlantic University

Study Contact

Beth A Pratt, PhD
561-297-4912
bpratt4@health.fau.edu

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.