Think of a situation that makes you nervous. Maybe you’re taking a test. Or maybe you’re at the doctor’s office, about to get a shot. Your mind races. Your heart pounds.
Just then, comfort walks in. A dog! You give it pats and belly rubs. Your nerves melt away.
People who love them know that dogs can brighten a tough day. Therapy dogs have calm personalities. They stay relaxed in high-stress situations. Therapy-dog programs pair trained dogs with people who need to be comforted.
Dr. Jeffrey Kline is an associate chair of research. He works in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wayne State University, in Indiana. He knew that therapy dogs are proven to reduce stress for adult patients in emergency rooms. He wondered if the dogs would help kids. The results of his study were released in JAMA Network Open in March.
In Practice
Kline conducted the study at Riley Children’s Hospital. That’s in Indianapolis. The study included 80 kids who were emergency-room patients. All got care from a specialist trained to help patients handle stress. Half the group also got a visit from a therapy dog.
According to the study, patients who spent 10 minutes with a dog saw their anxiety level drop by nearly half. The effects lasted for two hours. Both the kids and their parents “had faster and more resolution of anxiety,” Kline told TIME for Kids. “[This supports] the role of therapy dogs in pediatric emergency departments.”
Kline expects demand to grow for therapy dogs around the country. He says his team is working on a plan to provide “dog on demand” to patients.
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