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Feasibility of a Dog Training Therapy Program in UC Outpatient Youth Receiving Psychiatric Services
Sponsor: University of Chicago
Summary
The goal of this pilot project is to test for initial efficacy of the Recovery \& Care Canine-Assisted Therapy program that has been developed and implemented in Lawrence Hall, a Chicago-based residential treatment center for maltreated youth. In this study, the investigators test the feasibility, acceptability, and short-term efficacy of expanding the program to a group of youth currently in outpatient treatment for social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Results from this project will provide preliminary evidence of whether a structured, goal-oriented intervention program focused on dog training activities has direct impact on increasing youth emotional self-regulation, impulse control, and self-efficacy, which are important targets for intervention among youth with mental health problems. If successful, this project could lead to a larger, randomized control clinical trials study that tests the longitudinal impact of the program that could further lead to national dissemination of the Recovery \& Care curriculum as an alternative therapeutic approach.
Official title: Evaluating the Impact of a Canine-assisted Therapy Program in Youth Enrolled in Outpatient Treatment for Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
8 Years - 17 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
48
Start Date
2024-02-26
Completion Date
2025-12
Last Updated
2025-08-21
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Recovery & Care Canine-Assisted Therapy
Active intervention. An 6-week session of structured, goal-oriented activities where youth focus on mastering dog obedience and dog training skills. Each session is 1 hour and 15 minutes in length and includes education, review of prior sessions, and specific skill-building activities. Skill-building activities progress in complexity during the course of the 6-week curriculum.
Canine Education & Bonding
Active control intervention. An 6-week session of semi-structured activities. Sessions are 45 minutes in length. Youth in this condition engage in an educational component, passive observation of dog-training skills, and an active free-play session with the dog-handler teams.
Locations (1)
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States