'It's not just changed my dad's life, it changed ours too': Adult children's perspectives of PTSD assistance dogs.

INTRODUCTION

Veterans, military, and emergency service personnel (service personnel) experience a high prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of increased exposure to traumatic events during service. PTSD can lead to disengagement from everyday activities, heighten negative emotions, and impact relationships. Partnering with assistance dogs is one intervention reported to have positive outcomes for some service personnel with PTSD. This study explored the perspectives of adult children of service personnel who had partnered with an assistance dog. This included perceptions regarding health, well-being, and participation impacts for service personnel, and impacts on the adult child and/or the family unit.

METHODS

Seven adult children of service personnel with PTSD who had partnered with an assistance dog participated in a semi-structured interview. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically.

RESULTS

Five key themes were identified: 1) assistance dogs contribute to ongoing symptom management, 2) assistance dogs improve confidence and willingness to participate in daily activities, 3) benefits of assistance dogs extend to other family members, 4) the introduction of the assistance dog into the family unit can bring challenges, and 5) there is a need for increased community awareness and understanding of PTSD assistance dogs.

DISCUSSION: This study highlights benefits and challenges experienced by service personnel who partner with an assistance dog, and the service personnel's adult children. These are important considerations for service personnel, their families, and assistance dog organizations - and funders of animal-assisted interventions - when planning for or determining the suitability of human-animal partnerships.