Feasibility of a Dog Training Therapy Program in UC Outpatient Youth Receiving Psychiatric Services

Part of paid clinical trials in Chicago, Illinois.

Sponsor
University of Chicago
Study ID
NCT05788783
Status
Recruiting
Apply to this trial

Conditions

  • Behavioral Disorder
  • Emotion Regulation
  • Self Esteem

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
8 Years - 17 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Recovery & Care Canine-Assisted Therapy — BEHAVIORAL
    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 — OTHER
    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.

Study Details

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.

Key Dates

Start date
Feb 26, 2024
Status verified
Mar 2025
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2025
Completion
Dec 31, 2025

Study Design

Enrollment
48 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Experimental
    Active intervention. Youth will be assigned to the active Recovery \& Care Canine-Assisted Therapy intervention arm.
  • Other: Active control
    Active control intervention. Youth will be assigned to the active Canine Education \& Bonding arm.

Primary Outcome Measure

Emotional Stroop [ Time Frame: Up to 1-month post-intervention ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
University of ChicagoChicagoIllinois60637
Kristen C Jacobson, PhD
[email protected]
773-834-0265

Find similar trials in Chicago, IL

By research site
University of Chicago· Chicago, IL

Related Studies