The effect of a service dog on salivary cortisol awakening response in a military population with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Kerri E Rodriguez; Crystal I Bryce; Douglas A Granger; Marguerite E O'Haire

doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.04.026

The effect of a service dog on salivary cortisol awakening response in a military population with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018 Dec:98:202-210. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.04.026. Epub 2018 Apr 27.

Authors

Kerri E Rodriguez¹, Crystal I Bryce², Douglas A Granger³, Marguerite E O'Haire⁴

Affiliations

¹ Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA.
² T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
³ Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Bloomberg School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁴ Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA. Electronic address: mohaire@purdue.edu.

Abstract

Recent studies suggest a therapeutic effect of psychiatric service dogs for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but are limited by self-report biases. The current study assessed the effect of PTSD service dogs on the salivary cortisol awakening response (CAR) and arousal-related functioning in a population of military veterans with PTSD. Participants included 73 post-9/11 military veterans with PTSD including 45 with a service dog and 28 on the waitlist to receive one. Saliva samples were collected on two consecutive weekday mornings at awakening and 30 min later to quantify the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and its area under the curve (AUCi) in addition to standardized survey measures of anxiety, anger, sleep quality and disturbance, and alcohol abuse. There was a significant main effect of having a service dog on both the CAR and the AUCi, with individuals with a service dog exhibiting a higher CAR and AUCi compared to those on the waitlist. Results also revealed that those with a service dog reported significantly lower anxiety, anger, and sleep disturbance as well as less alcohol abuse compared to those on the waitlist, with medium to large effect sizes. Although those with a service dog reported significantly less PTSD symptom severity, CAR was not significantly associated with PTSD symptoms within or across group. In conclusion, results indicate that the placement of a PTSD service dog may have a significant positive influence on both physiological and psychosocial indicators of wellbeing in military veterans with PTSD. Although clinical significance cannot be confirmed, a higher CAR/AUCi among those with a service dog may indicate better health and wellbeing in this population. Future within-subject, longitudinal research will be necessary to determine potential clinical significance and impact of individual differences.

Keywords: Cortisol awakening response; Human-animal interaction; Military veterans; PTSD; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Service dogs.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Animal Assisted Therapy / methods*
Animals
Dogs
Female
Humans
Hydrocortisone / analysis
Male
Middle Aged
Military Personnel / psychology
Saliva / chemistry
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / metabolism
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / therapy*
Stress, Psychological / metabolism
Stress, Psychological / therapy*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Veterans / psychology

Substances

Hydrocortisone

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding