Canine-Assisted Intervention Effects on the Well-Being of Health Science Graduate Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

The mental health crisis among college graduate students requires cost-effective interventions to support the increasing number of students experiencing negative mental health symptoms. To assess the effects of a canine-assisted intervention (CAI) on student well-being, including quality of life (QOL), stress, anxiety, occupational performance, and adjustment to the graduate college student role. Random assignment to a treatment or control group. College campus. A total of 104 college student participants were randomly assigned to either the treatment (n = 53) or control (n = 51) condition. Treatment consisted of 35-min weekly sessions over 6 wk. QOL, stress, anxiety, and occupational role. An analysis of covariance revealed that, compared with participants in the control condition, participants who interacted with therapy dogs had significantly higher self-reports of QOL (p < .001) and decreased anxiety scores (p < .045). Within-subject paired t tests confirmed significant stress reductions for participants in the treatment condition (p < .000). No significant differences in self-reports of occupational performance or in adjustment to the graduate college student role were found. These findings add to the body of literature attesting to the efficacy of CAIs in supporting student well-being and optimizing learning conditions. Moreover, this study demonstrated that graduate students in a professional program responded favorably to spending time with therapy dogs. Implications for CAIs and university mental health programming are discussed. What This Article Adds: A CAI may be a valuable tool for students and young adults experiencing mental health challenges, such as stress, anxiety, and decreased QOL.