A pilot study into the effects of PTSD-assistance dogs’ work on their salivary cortisol levels and their handlers’ Quality of life

Abstract

Assistance dogs for people with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) support their handlers by performing tasks that are supposed to mitigate the effects of their mental disability. This study examined the Quality of Life (QoL) of PTSD-assistance dogs’ handlers in Austria and Germany using a qualitative online questionnaire based on the Capability Approach. To correspondingly explore whether the involved assistance dogs experience distress triggered by their daily schedules, we measured their salivary cortisol values. These were compared to the cortisol levels of companion dogs without special tasks, as well as diabetic-signal dogs that have a similar workload. Our results showed that people suffering from PTSD-symptoms can improve their QoL with the aid of their assistance dog. However, being accompanied by an assistance dog creates new social barriers. Surprisingly, we found significantly lower salivary cortisol levels in PTSD-assistance dogs compared to the control groups. We conclude that a positive relationship between PTSD-assistance dogs and their handlers can reduce stress on both sides, and that training well tuned to the requirements of an assistance dog can prevent stress in their daily lives.