Introduction: Interactions with animals represent a promising way to reduce the burden of childhood mental illness on a large scale. However, theory as well as basic and applied clinical research are sparse. This study provides well controlled demonstration that unstructured interactions with dogs can improve clinically-relevant symptoms in children.
Methodology: Seventy-eight children (55.1% female; 44.9% male) aged 10 to 13 (M = 12.01, SD = 1.13) completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Children. Participants were randomly assigned to 1) interaction with a dog, 2) a tactile-stimulation control, or 3) a waiting control. Interactions with the dogs were conducted without involvement (but with appropriate supervision) from handlers or experimenters, in order to isolate the effects of the dogs. A total of 10 dogs participated. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children, Short Form and State/Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children were completed at baseline and posttest, and salivary cortisol was assessed at five time points.
Main Results: We detected significant effects of condition on positive affect (F (2, 72) = 4.47, p < .05, partial eta squared= 0.11) and state anxiety (F (2, 72) = 4.69, p = .01, partial eta squared = 0.12). Participants in the experimental condition showed higher levels of posttest positive affect than participants in the tactile stimulation control condition (a mean difference of 2.38 points, 95% CI [0.70, 4.06], p = .006), and lower levels of posttest state anxiety than participants in the waiting control (a mean difference of 3.63 points, 95% CI [-6.56, -0.70], p = .003). Negative mood was not assessed reliably and there was no significant effect of the interactions on salivary cortisol. The interactions had moderate effects on children’s subjective, but not physiological responses to a stressful situation.
Principal Conclusions and Implications for the Field: Brief interactions with dogs boosted children’s positive emotions and reduced anxiety. This work provides evidence under well-controlled laboratory conditions isolating the benefit of these interactions. Additional studies that clarify how these interactions improve children’s mental health will be important for further establishing the evidence base.