Posttraumatic stress disorder service dogs and the wellbeing of veteran families

BACKGROUND: Benefits and challenges associated with service dogs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may extend beyond veterans to their families. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the impact of veterans’ PTSD service dogs on spouses and families in a parallel-group, longitudinal design with assessments at baseline and three months follow-up. METHOD: A total of 88 United States military veteran spouses completed a survey composed of multiple standardized measures at baseline and three months later. In the intervention group (n = 48), veterans received service dogs shortly after baseline while the waitlist control group (n = 40) did not. RESULTS: Linear regression analyses demonstrated significantly lower caregiver satisfaction, higher caregiver burden and higher participation in life activities among spouses who had service dogs in their homes compared to those on the waitlist. Though not significant, small effect sizes were present among additional measures. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that although previous literature demonstrates service dogs may offer significant improvements for veterans, spouses and children may not experience those same benefits. Clinicians should consider how to prepare veteran spouses and families for integrating service dogs into their home. Future studies should explore family-focused approaches for service dog integration, defining an optimal strategy for the benefit of the entire family. HIGHLIGHTS: Though service dogs may improve wellbeing for veterans with posttraumatic disorder, families of veterans may not experience those same benefits. Researchers and clinicians should consider how to best prepare veteran families for integrating service dogs into their homes. Though posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) service dogs are trained specifically for veterans, recent studies have demonstrated that their impact may go beyond veterans themselves (McCall, Rodriguez, Wadsworth, Meis, & O’Haire, 2020; Nieforth, Craig, Behmer, MacDermid Wadsworth, & O’Haire, 2021). PTSD service dogs may provide both benefits and challenges for veteran families.