Therapy Dogs District-Wide
Mental Health and Well-Being Influences in PK-12 Education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22047974 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kathleen M Farrand (0000-0001-5647-6305, Arizona State University, corresponding author), Jae Young Jung (0009-0001-6182-6979, Arizona State University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pages | 929 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-21 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci15070929 |
| OpenAlex | W4412526572 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 66 |
The mental health of prekindergarten (PK)-12th grade students is of extreme importance. Therapy dogs are a unique intervention to address mental health needs in educational frameworks. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the components of a PK-12 district-wide therapy dog program and the implications for the mental health and well-being of students, faculty, and staff. This research used qualitative methods for semi-structured interviews with therapy dog handlers, observations including photographs, and researcher field notes of therapy dogs and handlers in their education environment. Thematic analysis of transcripts from semi-structured interviews was used for qualitative analysis. The results indicated that the strategic implementation of a district-wide therapy program supported a sustainable program that is integrated into the educational ecosystem. The participants perceived that the therapy dogs impacted mental health in the domains of social, emotional, and behavioral support. A district-wide systematic approach to addressing mental health and well-being needs of students, faculty, and staff with therapy dogs’ hinges on a comprehensive training and evaluation process, district-level support, and consistent implementation across educational settings. Therapy dogs can be embedded within educational structures to create a multilevel impact from the classroom to school to district level for a sustainable program. Therapy dogs positively contribute to the mental health and well-being of students, faculty, and staff in PK-12 education settings
Mathematics education · Medical education · Mental health · Psychotherapist · Counseling Practices and Supervision · Medicine · Psychology
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Engagement with research
Animal-Assisted Interventions as an Adjunct to Therapy for Youth
Prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress during the Covid-19 pandemic
The role of pets in managing uncertainty from Covid-19
Educator perspectives on stressors and health
A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Psychosocial Outcomes
Animal-Assisted Interventions for Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Measuring Stress and Immune Response in Healthcare Professionals following Interaction with a Therapy Dog
Effect of Pet Dogs on Children's Perceived Stress and Cortisol Stress Response
Minding the gap
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An evaluation of a dog-assisted reading program to support student wellbeing in primary school
Using thematic analysis in psychology
The Role of Therapy Dogs in Speed and Accuracy to Complete Motor Skills Tasks for Preschool Children
Conducting the Pilot Study
Dog-Assisted Physical Activity Intervention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Turning the Page for Spot
A Randomized Cross-over Exploratory Study of the Effect of Visiting Therapy Dogs on College Student Stress Before Final Exams
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |