Due to its novelty and lack of empirical study it remains unclear if a service dog truly mitigates the burden of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. To cross sectionally investigate the... Show moreDue to its novelty and lack of empirical study it remains unclear if a service dog truly mitigates the burden of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. To cross sectionally investigate the effect of service dogs on veterans and first aid responders with PTSD, we studied subjective and physiological parameters in 65 individuals divided over four groups. These groups were: veterans and first aid responders with PTSD and a service dog (n = 20), with PTSD and a companion dog (n = 10), with PTSD without a dog (n = 12) and a group without PTSD (n = 23). We found that veterans and first aid responders with PTSD who had a service dog showed significantly less PTSD related symptoms, better sleep quality, and better wellbeing experience, than those with a companion dog. Those with a service dog additionally experienced fewer PTSD related symptoms than those without a service dog and tended to walk more than individuals without PTSD. No differences were found in cortisol levels between groups though and changes in both salivary cortisol and activity were not linked to improved welfare experience. Though the use of physiological measurement methods thus warrants more research, our study indicates that the subjective experience of wellbeing, sleep quality and PTSD related symptoms is improved by the presence of a service dog. Show less
Background: Military members and veterans exhibit higher rates of injuries and illnesses such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of their increased exposure to combat and other... Show moreBackground: Military members and veterans exhibit higher rates of injuries and illnesses such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of their increased exposure to combat and other traumatic scenarios. Novel treatments for PTSD are beginning to emerge and increasingly leverage advances in gaming and other technologies, such as virtual reality. Without assessing the degree of technology acceptance and perception of usability to the end users, including the military members, veterans, and their attending therapists and staff, it is difficult to determine whether a technology-based treatment will be used successfully in wider clinical practice. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model is commonly used to address the technology acceptance and usability of applications in 5 domains.Objective: Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model, the purpose of this study was to determine the technology acceptance and usability of multimodal motion-assisted memory desensitization and reconsolidation (3MDR) on a virtual reality system in the primary user group (military members and veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD, 3MDR therapists, and virtual reality environment operators).Methods: This mixed methods embedded pilot study included military members (n=3) and veterans (n=8) with a diagnosis of combat-related PTSD, as well as their therapists (n=13) and operators (n=5) who completed pre-post questionnaires before and on completion of 6 weekly sessions of 3MDR. A partial least squares structural equation model was used to analyze the questionnaire results. Qualitative data from the interviews were assessed using thematic analysis.Results: Effort expectancy, which was the most notable predictor of behavioral intention, increased after a course of 3MDR with the virtual reality system, whereas all other constructs demonstrated no significant change. Participants' expectations of the technology were met, as demonstrated by the nonsignificant differences in the pre-post scores. The key qualitative themes included feasibility and function, technical support, and tailored immersion.Conclusions: 3MDR via a virtual reality environment appears to be a feasible, usable, and accepted technology for delivering 3MDR to military members and veterans who experience PTSD and 3MDR therapists and operators who facilitate their treatment. Show less
