Dog-Assisted Therapy in Adolescents Attending a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day Hospital

NCT07663916 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2023-0075
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 70
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a dog-assisted therapy program integrated into a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day Hospital, as well as to explore participants' subjective experiences. Mental health disorders in adolescence are common and often require intensive treatment approaches. Day hospitals provide structured care while allowing adolescents to remain in their family and social environments. Dog-assisted therapy has been proposed as a complementary intervention that may support emotional regulation, reduce distress, and enhance motivation and engagement in treatment. A mixed-methods study was conducted, combining a randomized controlled trial with a qualitative phenomenological analysis. A total of 70 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years attending a mental health day hospital were included. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group, which received dog-assisted therapy in addition to treatment as usual, or to a control group that received treatment as usual only. The intervention consisted of eight structured sessions of dog-assisted therapy, each lasting approximately 45 minutes. Clinical and emotional outcomes were assessed before and after the intervention using standardized instruments. In addition, immediate emotional changes were evaluated before and after each session. A qualitative component based on semi-structured interviews was conducted to better understand participants' experiences. The study seeks to provide evidence on whether dog-assisted therapy can be a useful complementary intervention in adolescent mental health care, particularly in improving immediate emotional regulation, motivation, and therapeutic engagement. This is an interventional trial registered retrospectively after study completion. Data were collected between \[01/01/2024\] and (31.12.2025\]

Conditions

Mental Health Disorders in Adolescents; Emotional Dysregulation; Anxiety Disorders; Depressive Disorders; Eating Disorders

Keywords

Keywords: Dog-assisted therapy; Mental health day hospital; Mental health symptomatology

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• HONOSCA

  Change in global clinical functioning assessed using the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA). This instrument evaluates behavioral, emotional, and psychosocial difficulties in adolescents attending mental health services. Higher scores indicate greater severity of problems. The outcome measures the difference between pre-intervention and post-intervention total scores.

  Baseline and post-intervention at Week 8

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Change in state anxiety (STAIC)

  Baseline and post-intervention at Week 8

• Change in emotional regulation difficulties (DERS)

  Baseline and post-intervention at Week 8

• Change in depressive symptoms (CDI)

  Baseline and post-intervention at Week 8

• Change in eating disorder symptomatology (EDI-2)

  Baseline and post-intervention at Week 8

• Immediate change in emotional state (FIS)

  Immediately before and after each session, throughout the 8-week intervention period]

Study Arms (2)

Dog-Assisted Therapy + Treatment as Usual

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to the experimental group received a structured dog-assisted therapy program in addition to treatment as usual provided in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day Hospital. The intervention consisted of eight sessions of dog-assisted therapy, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, integrated into routine clinical care. Each session followed a standardized structure including three phases: an initial contact phase with the dog to facilitate adaptation, a main phase involving structured therapeutic activities with the dog aimed at promoting emotional regulation, social interaction, and therapeutic engagement, and a closing phase focused on reflection and session completion. Sessions were conducted by mental health professionals with the support of a certified canine specialist. In addition to the intervention, participants continued receiving standard multidisciplinary care, including psychotherapy, psychoeducation, and educational support.

Behavioral: Experimental: Experimental: Dog-assisted therapy + Treatment as usual; Other: Active Comparator: Treatment as usual

Treatment as Usual

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants assigned to the control group received treatment as usual provided in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day Hospital, without exposure to dog-assisted therapy. Standard care included a multidisciplinary program composed of individual and group psychotherapy, psychoeducation, academic support, and therapeutic activities routinely delivered within the day hospital setting. Participants continued receiving this standard care throughout the study period

Behavioral: Experimental: Experimental: Dog-assisted therapy + Treatment as usual; Other: Active Comparator: Treatment as usual

Interventions

Experimental: Experimental: Dog-assisted therapy + Treatment as usual BEHAVIORAL

Participants received a structured dog-assisted therapy program integrated into routine care in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day Hospital. The intervention consisted of eight sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes. Each session followed a standardized structure including an initial phase of contact with the dog, a main phase involving structured therapeutic activities aimed at promoting emotional regulation, social interaction, and therapeutic engagement, and a closing phase for reflection. Sessions were delivered by mental health professionals with the support of a certified canine specialist.

Dog-Assisted Therapy + Treatment as Usual; Treatment as Usual

Active Comparator: Treatment as usual OTHER

Los participantes asignados al grupo de control recibieron el tratamiento habitual proporcionado en el Hospital de Día de Salud Mental Infantil y Adolescente, sin exposición a la terapia asistida con perros. La atención estándar incluyó un programa multidisciplinario compuesto por psicoterapia individual y grupal, psicoeducación, apoyo académico y actividades terapéuticas que se imparten de forma rutinaria en el entorno del hospital de día. Los participantes continuaron recibiendo esta atención estándar durante todo el período del estudio.

Dog-Assisted Therapy + Treatment as Usual; Treatment as Usual

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 12 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years
• Receiving treatment at a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day Hospital
• Willingness and motivation to participate in the intervention
• Written informed consent provided by the participant and their legal guardians

You may not qualify if:

• Estimated intelligence quotient (IQ) below 80
• Allergy to dogs
• Fear of dogs or animal phobia
• History of aggressive behavior towards animals

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hospital Clinic of Barcelona: lead
• Obra Social La Caixa, Spain: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Hospital Clinic de Barcelona

Barcelona, Barcelona, 08036, Spain

Location

Related Publications (7)

• Hinic K, Kowalski MO, Holtzman K, Mobus K. The Effect of a Pet Therapy and Comparison Intervention on Anxiety in Hospitalized Children. J Pediatr Nurs. 2019 May-Jun;46:55-61. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2019.03.003. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

  PMID: 30852256 BACKGROUND

• Beatriz MN, Javier FS, Ana Myriam LP, Luis-Lucio LR, Manuel FG, Israel GG, Montserrat GB, Daniel CM. Effects of Dog-assisted Therapy in Anxiety Symptoms of Female Adolescents With Eating Disorders: A Controlled Trial. Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2025 Dec;53(6):1265-1273. doi: 10.62641/aep.v53i6.1919.

  PMID: 41437761 BACKGROUND

• Vidal R, Vidal L, Lugo J, Ristol F, Domenec E, Casas T, Veiga A, Vico C, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Gomez-Barros N. Dog-Assisted Therapy vs Relaxation for Children and Adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Study. J Autism Dev Disord. 2024 Aug;54(8):3133-3141. doi: 10.1007/s10803-023-06023-5. Epub 2023 Jun 20.

  PMID: 37340213 BACKGROUND

• London MD, Mackenzie L, Lovarini M, Dickson C, Alvarez-Campos A. Animal Assisted Therapy for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parent perspectives. J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 Dec;50(12):4492-4503. doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04512-5.

  PMID: 32333302 BACKGROUND

• Garrocho-Rangel A, Rosales-Berber M, Rios-Mendez D, Flores-Velazquez J, Trejo-Herbert D, Pozos-Guillen F, Pozos-Guillen A. Dog-Assisted Therapy (DAT) for the management of anxiety during paediatric dental care. A scoping review. Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2024 Jun 3;25(2):120-125. doi: 10.23804/ejpd.2024.2001. Epub 2024 Mar 1.

  PMID: 38501910 BACKGROUND

• Guillen Guzman E, Sastre Rodriguez L, Santamarina-Perez P, Hermida Barros L, Garcia Giralt M, Domenec Elizalde E, Ristol Ubach F, Romero Gonzalez M, Pastor Yuste Y, Diaz Tellez C, Romero Cela S, Real Gisbert L, Salmeron Medina M, Ballesteros-Urpi A, Morer Linan A. The Benefits of Dog-Assisted Therapy as Complementary Treatment in a Children's Mental Health Day Hospital. Animals (Basel). 2022 Oct 19;12(20):2841. doi: 10.3390/ani12202841.

  PMID: 36290226 BACKGROUND

• Kamioka H, Okada S, Tsutani K, Park H, Okuizumi H, Handa S, Oshio T, Park SJ, Kitayuguchi J, Abe T, Honda T, Mutoh Y. Effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Med. 2014 Apr;22(2):371-90. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2013.12.016. Epub 2014 Jan 6.

  PMID: 24731910 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Depressive Disorder; Feeding and Eating Disorders

Interventions

Therapeutics

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Mood Disorders; Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: A Retrospectively Registered Interventional Trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 28, 2026
• First Posted: June 23, 2026
• Study Start: January 12, 2024
• Primary Completion: December 14, 2025
• Study Completion: May 12, 2026
• Last Updated: June 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

ES (1)