New students enjoy college life but are anxious about living alone and examinations. To alleviate stress levels, many universities in USA offer animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) to students. The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of AAIs using dogs on first-year students in Japanese universities.
53 participants (41 females) were recruited through the Azabu University e-mail system. The participants were divided into four groups; Ⅰ: participants interacted with a dog (n=19), Ⅱ: participants and a friend interacted with a dog (n=10), Ⅲ: participants stayed with a dog without interacting (n=10), and Ⅳ: participants and a friend stayed with a dog without interacting (n=14). A 10 min AAI occurred only once during the one to four weeks before the first University’ examination period.To evaluate the effects of AAIs, POMS2 and salivary cortisol concentrations using EIA, were measured pre-and post-AAI. As an index of sympathetic and parasympathetic activities, the heart rates were measured using a heart rate monitor during the AAI. POMS2 data and saliva were collected just 1h before starting examinations. Paired t- and Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests were used to analyze pre-and post-AAI data, while Turkey-Kramer and Steel-Dwass tests were used for the between-groups analysis.
The Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) score of POMS2 (an index of negative feelings) significantly decreased in all groups after the AAI (p < 0.001). Group Ⅲ showed a significant increase in parasympathetic (p < 0.05) and a decrease in the sympathetic (p < 0.05) activity. There were no significant differences in heart rates or cortisol concentrations among the groups. The TMD scores just 1h before starting examinations were significantly higher than those after the AAIs (p < 0.001).
This study showed that only one short AAI, with or without interactions with a dog, might have relaxing effects on that decrease negative feelings of first-year university students. Although this effect was not persistent, it indicated that the first examination period is very stressful for first-year university students. Further data will be collected at the second examination period in January. AAIs might be helpful in addressing student concerns and in increasing their feeling of well-being.