A Pilot Study to Examine the Impact of a Therapy Dog Intervention on Loneliness and Related Health Outcomes in Vulnerable Populations
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 72
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Attrition rate
Study Overview
Brief Summary
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.
Detailed Description
Participants will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to receive one of the following interventions:
- Animal-assisted interaction (a dog-handler team will visit them in their hospital room)
- Conversational interaction with just participants and the handler
- 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.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Basic Science
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
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.
Arms & Interventions
Animal-assisted interaction (AAI)
Dogs and handlers will visit with patients for 20 minutes and discuss semi-scripted topics.
Intervention: Animal-assisted interaction (Behavioral)
Conversational interaction
Handlers will have a 20 minute semi-scripted conversation with patients.
Intervention: Conversational control (Behavioral)
Treatment as usual
Patients will receive treatment as usual.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Attrition rate
Time Frame: 30 months
Number of participants who do not complete the full study
Number of participants enrolled
Time Frame: 2 years
The number of eligible patients who sigh consent forms and are randomized to a condition
Secondary Outcomes
- Change in loneliness(Baseline to 6 months)
- Change in anxiety(Baseline to 6 months)
- Change in depression(Baseline to 6 months)