Posttraumatic stress disorder service dogs and the wellbeing of veteran families.
Leanne O NieforthElise A MillerShelley MacDermid WadsworthMarguerite E O'HairePublished in: European journal of psychotraumatology (2022)
Though service dogs may improve wellbeing for veterans with posttraumatic disorder, families of veterans may not experience those same benefits. Researchers and clinicians should consider how to best prepare veteran families for integrating service dogs into their homes.Though posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) service dogs are trained specifically for veterans, recent studies have demonstrated that their impact may go beyond veterans themselves (McCall, Rodriguez, Wadsworth, Meis, & O'Haire, 2020; Nieforth, Craig, Behmer, MacDermid Wadsworth, & O'Haire, 2021). PTSD service dogs may provide both benefits and challenges for veteran families.