Randomized Control Trial of an Animal-Assisted Intervention With Adjudicated Youth

NCT01594606 | Completed Phase 3

• 1 other identifier: R03HD070621
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 150
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The project involves testing the efficacy of an animal-assisted intervention (AAI). The AAI consists of a 10-week program in which adjudicated adolescents train shelter dogs and will be compared to a dog walking control group matched for educational content and dog contact time. The investigators expect that the AAI will result in improved empathy skills and that dog attachment will explain these findings. The investigators also explore the extent to which the AAI will improve internalizing and externalizing symptoms in these adolescents.

Conditions

Conduct Disorder; Depression; Anxiety

Keywords

Animal-assisted intervention; adjudicated adolescents; empathy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms as measured by the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist-Teacher Report and Youth Self Report forms

  The Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist is a standardized measure of child behavior problems that assesses observers' and children's reports of the children's anxiety and depression (internalizing) and acting out (externalizing) behaviors.

  baseline and 10 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in empathy toward other people

  baseline and 10 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Animal-assisted

EXPERIMENTAL

This group receives the dog training program in which they will be teaching a dog basic obedience skills.

Behavioral: Animal-assisted intervention

Dog Walking

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This group will walk a different dog each week but will not engage in dog training.

Behavioral: Animal-assisted intervention

Interventions

Animal-assisted intervention BEHAVIORAL

The experimental group will receive 10 weeks of classroom training and hands-on experience working with dogs to teach them basic obedience skills. Each participant will work with the same dog each week. The active control group will receive 10 weeks of classroom training and will walk a different dog each week but will not teach obedience skills to the dogs.

Animal-assisted; Dog Walking

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 14 Years - 17 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• must be a resident of participating juvenile justice center in Michigan

You may not qualify if:

• none

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Wayne State University: lead
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center

Mount Clemens, Michigan, 48043, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Conduct Disorder; Depression; Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Annmarie Cano, PhD

  Wayne State University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 3
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 4, 2012
• First Posted: May 9, 2012
• Study Start: May 1, 2012
• Primary Completion: August 1, 2014
• Study Completion: June 1, 2015
• Last Updated: December 9, 2015

Record last verified: 2015-12

Locations

US (1)