A Randomized Cross-over Exploratory Study of the Effect of Visiting Therapy Dogs on College Student Stress Before Final Exams

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2161956
AutoresSandra B Barker (Department of Psychiatry, Center for Human–Animal Interaction, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA), Sandra Barker (0000-0001-8143-7850, autor correspondente), Randolph T Barker (Virginia Commonwealth University), Nancy L Mccain (Virginia Commonwealth University), Christine M Schubert (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base)
Ano2016
Volume29
Fascículo1
Páginas35-46
Data de publicação2016-01-02
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAnthrozoös (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0892-7936 • E-ISSN: 1753-0377
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/08927936.2015.1069988
OpenAlexW2293492702
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas43
Referências citadas44

This exploratory study investigated the effect of visiting therapy dogs on college-student perceived and physiological stress the week prior to final exams. Students (n = 78) were randomly assigned to order of a therapydog intervention and attention-control condition, each 15 minutes long. Students completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a stress visual analog scale (SVAS), and provided saliva for measuring nerve growth factor (sNGF) and alpha amylase (sAA), prior to randomization. Saliva samples and SVAS were again collected after each condition. There was no effect of group order on demographics, PSS, or initial SVAS. Repeated measures models were used to analyze the complete data sets of 57 students. There were no significant differences in sAA between or within students completing the intervention and control conditions. sNGF was not subjected to analysis as most levels were undetectable. Significant differences in SVAS scores were found between the intervention and control condition, with large effect sizes. SVAS scores were lower following the intervention, regardless of condition order (intervention first, p = 0.0001, d = 1.87; intervention second, p = 0.0004, d = 1.63). No SVAS differences were found for the control condition. Based on these findings, campus events with visiting therapy dogs represent a costeffective, easily accessible activity to reduce perceived, but not physiological, stress for college students prior to final exams

Animal welfare · Animal-assisted therapy · Biology · Exploratory research · HUBzero · Medical education · Pet therapy · Randomized controlled trial · Sociology · Stress (linguistics · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Infant Health and Development · Medicine · Psychology · Veterinary Practice and Education Studies · Clinical Psychology · Internal Medicine