The influence of service dog partnerships on perceived and objective sleep quality for military veterans with PTSD.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Sleep disturbances, fear of sleep, and nightmares are among the most reported symptoms for military service members and veterans (henceforth "veterans") with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), potentially contributing to treatment resistance and heightened suicidality. Despite available evidence-based interventions, many veterans still report difficulties. The complementary intervention of a psychiatric service dog may contribute to improvements in sleep quality for veterans with PTSD.

Methods

This preregistered, non-randomized clinical trial evaluated the association between service dog partnership and sleep at 3 month follow-up. Participants were N = 155 veterans with PTSD (81 in the service dog group and 74 waitlisted controls). Measures included se

SUBMITTER: Bristol S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12713846 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature