Human-Animal Interactions for Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress: A Community Education Project

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve provider and staff knowledge and likelihood of discussing and referring for human-animal interaction (HAI) services, as well as improve the understanding of available resources in the surrounding Tucson, Arizona area. Background: Approximately 23% to 60% of veterans and military members have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with less than one-half of these individuals pursuing treatment. Despite the existing evidence-based treatments for PTSD and the current stigma reduction strategies, suicide rates among the veteran population continue to rise. When compared to the general population of Arizona, veteran suicide rates are significantly higher. HAIs have been shown to improve cognition and motivation, as well as decrease levels of loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Contact with therapy animals can lower heart rate and blood pressure, consequently decreasing autonomic physiological reactivity. Offering HAIs as adjunctive therapy in treating PTSD could aid in closing the current treatment gap. Methods: Participants for this quality improvement project were mental health providers consisting of nurse practitioners, and psychiatrists, and therapists at a local integrated outpatient clinic recruited through email. Participants were asked to view a 15-minute voice over narrated presentation on HAI and then take a 5-minute survey delivered through Google forms. A local HAI resource handout was also provided Results: Ten participants completed the post-survey. All ten participants were therapists. The participants had unlimited access to both the presentation and local resource handout; however, the post-survey was only open for two weeks. Based on the data, there was an increase in the therapists’ knowledge and likelihood of discussing, using, and referring for HAI services, as well as an improvement in the understanding of available resources in the surrounding Tucson, Arizona area. Conclusions: This project supports that providing an education intervention on the benefits of HAI as adjunctive therapy in treating PTSD among veterans to providers and staff can increase their knowledge and likelihood of discussing and using this intervention information. The participants reported that the local resource handout was helpful, and they now have a better understanding of the local resources available to better service their veteran patients.