Subjects Design Intervention and Results (relevant to outcome anxiety or PTSD measures symptoms) Barker 50 inpatients Pre- and 1 x 30 min AAT Sig. reduction in and in an acute group session anxiety AAT Dawson psychiatric session for patients (1998) setting controlled with a range of crossover psychiatric STAI for anxiety design diagnoses Barker et 35 Pre- and 1 x 15 minute Sig. 37% reduction al (2003) psychiatric post- AAT in fear and non-sig. patients 18% reduction in waiting for controlled anxiety found in ECT crossover AAT condition. Anxiety, fear and design depression measured by visual analogue In post intervention scales interview, most participants reported reduced their anxiety. Cole et 76 healthy RCT 12 min AAT Found AAT to sig. al (2007) and reduce anxiety, hypertensive cardiopulmonary randomized patients pressures and Physiological repeated hospitalized neurohormone measures measures with heart levels. STAI failure design. AAA had the greatest decrease from baseline in state anxiety sum score compared with the volunteer only units, P=.002) and the control group (-9.13 units, P<.001) Dietz et Convenience Comparison 12 x weekly Both dog groups al (2012) sample of of group therapy showed significant 153 children sessions: Dogs decreases in trauma in treatment of 3 group No Stories, Dogs symptoms. Dogs at a CAC With Stories group
Subjects Design Intervention and outcome measures Results (relevant to anxiety or PTSD symptoms) Barker and Dawson (1998) 50 inpatients in an acute psychiatric setting Pre- and controlled crossover design 1 x 30 min AAT group session STAI for anxiety Sig. reduction in anxiety AAT session for patients with a range of psychiatric diagnoses Barker et al (2003) 35 psychiatric patients waiting for ECT Pre- and controlled crossover design 1 x 15 minute AAT Anxiety, fear and depression measured by visual analogue scales Sig. 37% reduction in fear and non-sig. 18% reduction in anxiety found in AAT condition. In post intervention interview, most participants reported reduced their anxiety. Cole et al (2007) 76 healthy and hypertensive patients hospitalized with heart failure RCT randomized repeated measures design. 12 min AAT Physiological measures STAI Found AAT to sig. reduce anxiety, cardiopulmonary pressures and neurohormone levels. AAA had the greatest decrease from baseline in state anxiety sum score compared with the volunteer only units, P=.002) and the control group (-9.13 units, P<.001) Dietz et al (2012) Convenience sample of 153 children in treatment at a CAC Comparison of of 3 group 12 x weekly group therapy sessions: Dogs No Stories, Dogs Both dog groups showed significant decreases in trauma symptoms. Dogs With Stories group post-