# Evaluating the Efficacy of a Service Dog Training Program for Military Veterans with PTSD

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2020 · $193,298

## Abstract

Project Summary: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a serious public health epidemic,
affects approximately 20% of the 18.5 million U.S. veterans, and places them at higher risk for
impaired biopsychosocial functioning. Individuals with PTSD experience comorbidities
including: major depression, mania, panic attacks, social phobia, and alcohol/drug dependence.
Similarly they have increased odds of symptoms and diseases including: low psychological well-
being, days of disability, chronic lung disease, arthritis, migraines, hypertension, heart disease,
ulcers, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and multiple chemical sensitivities. Increases in PTSD
symptom severity (PTSDSS) cause an inability to regulate emotions, control impulsive
behaviors, and function within family and society oftentimes leading to homelessness, divorce,
and spousal/child abuse. Unfortunately, suicide rates are surging with about 7,300 veterans
taking their life each year, more than die in combat. Alarming veteran PTSD rates and the
insidious effects of this condition demand empirically validated treatment programs. VA
intensive PTSD programs reach only 1% of the veterans and typically led to modest symptom
improvement. As a result many veterans self-treat their PTSD with non-pharmacological means;
efforts to suppress their emotions can further their symptoms. Anecdotal evidence suggests that
training service dogs (SDs) may be rehabilitative for veterans with PTSD, but evidence of
efficacy is lacking. We hypothesize that veterans with PTSD who train SDs for fellow veterans
will show a reduction in PTSDSS and decreases in stress-related biological and psychosocial
outcomes. Despite belief in the value of SDTPs as a treatment option for veterans with PTSD, we
are unable to locate any published peer-reviewed studies that evaluate the efficacy of a SDTP in
veterans with PTSD. This study addresses gaps in evidence-based alternative interventions for
PTSD, a critical need given the meager successes of standard therapies. This randomized clinical
trial evaluates the efficacy of an 8-week SDTP compared to a wait list control intervention for
improving primary outcome: PTSDSS, secondary outcomes: stress and psychosocial health, and
exploratory outcome: cellular aging in veterans with PTSD. We also evaluate the SDs stress
during training and feasibility of the intervention for veterans with PTSD. If the SDTP is
successful in reducing PTSDSS in veterans with PTSD and without stressing the dogs it may
prove to be a cost-effective rehabilitative opportunity for other at-risk populations. This study is
novel in evaluating the effects of the SDTP on the human and the dog and is potentially
generalizable and scalable with a broad reach for future implementation and dissemination.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9857061
- **Project number:** 5R21HD097763-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** ERIKA FRIEDMANN
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $193,298
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-02-01 → 2023-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9857061

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9857061, Evaluating the Efficacy of a Service Dog Training Program for Military Veterans with PTSD (5R21HD097763-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9857061. Licensed CC0.

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