Retrospective Examination of Service Dog Training Program Participation and Mental Healthcare Utilization.

Abstract

To investigate the association between Service Dog Training Program (SDTP) participation and mental health care utilization. Retrospective cohort study. Outpatient rehabilitation clinic at a large military treatment facility. Military Health System beneficiaries who attended at least 1 SDTP session at a large military treatment facility (N=597). SDTP program enrollment records identified participants. The SDTP, a unique application of animal-assisted therapy, is intended to improve the mental and cognitive health for individuals with war-related trauma. Negative binomial regression calculated the associations between the SDTP participation rate and 2 mental health care utilization outcomes: mental health encounter days and psychotropic medication months' supply. Most of the 597 participants were male, enlisted service members, and aged 25-34 years. Approximately 46% had a posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis, 21% had a traumatic brain injury diagnosis, 47% had an opioid prescription, and 58% had a sleep aid prescription pre-SDTP participation. Participation was categorized into low (≤1 sessions), medium (>1 and ≤2 sessions), and high (>2 sessions) monthly participation. In adjusted analysis, high monthly SDTP participation was associated with 18% fewer post-SDTP mental health encounter days (rate ratio [RR], 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-0.96) than low monthly SDTP participation. High monthly SDTP participation was also associated with a 22% fewer post-SDTP psychotropic prescription months' supply (RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64-0.95) than low monthly SDTP participation in adjusted analysis. Results suggest that participants who attend more than 2 SDTP sessions monthly encounter mental health care differently post SDTP than participants who attended 1 or fewer monthly sessions. Adjunct therapies, such as the SDTP, may offer patients a nonstigmatizing way to engage in mental health care.