{"id":98168,"date":"2018-11-23T11:25:17","date_gmt":"2018-11-23T16:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=98168"},"modified":"2018-11-23T09:29:21","modified_gmt":"2018-11-23T14:29:21","slug":"study-at-clear-path-for-veterans-finds-veterans-benefit-significantly-from-canines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=98168","title":{"rendered":"Study at Clear Path for Veterans finds Veterans benefit \u2018significantly\u2019 from canines"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Alison, a U.S. Navy Veteran, and her dog Arthur graduated from Clear Path for Veterans\u2019 Dogs2Vets Program this fall. (Photo submitted by Clear Path for Veterans)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Study at Clear Path for Veterans finds Veterans benefit \u2018significantly\u2019 from canines<\/strong><\/p>\n

Veterans benefit significantly from dog ownership in combination with a structured dog training program.<\/em><\/p>\n

That is the finding of a scientific study recently published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine: Paradigm, Practice, and Policy Advancing Integrative Health.<\/p>\n

According to the study\u2019s lead researcher, Dr. Dessa Bergen-Cico at Syracuse University\u2019s Department of Public Health, \u201cthis is one of the first such studies to be published, on the impact dogs have on Veterans\u2019 post-traumatic stress symptoms, that includes the scientific rigor of a control group and longitudinal follow-up.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the study, 48 Veterans were either enrolled in Clear Path for Veterans\u2019 owner-trainer Dogs2Vets Program or were placed in the wait list control group. The study which began in 2014, tracked Dogs2Vets\u2019 12-month structured program that engaged Veterans in the training and care of a dog that they ultimately adopted.<\/p>\n

During the study, participating Veterans were measured for post-traumatic stress symptoms, perceived stress, self-compassion, isolation and self-judgment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe results of this study serve to bolster what we have observed since the founding of our Dogs2Vets Program nearly eight years ago. That across the board, Veterans who participate in our Dogs2Vets Program experience significant reductions in symptoms of post-traumatic stress, perceived stress, isolation and self-judgment,\u201d said Dogs2Vets Program Manager Ryan Woodruff. \u201cIn the control group \u2013 those placed on the wait list \u2013 we saw no significant improvements in these same measures.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to an analysis of U.S. Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, there are many individual and systematic barriers to engaging military Veterans in traditional clinical treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, and as a result fewer than half of Veterans in need of PTSD treatment will actually receive clinical services through the Veterans Administration. Because of this, effective complementary and alternative strategies outside of traditional clinical structures are needed for Veterans with PTSD, such as animal assisted interventions.<\/p>\n

Why would Clear Path\u2019s Dogs2Vets Program stand above other animal assisted interventions?<\/p>\n

\u201cResearchers note that the compassionate and nonjudgmental demeanor of dogs uniquely support Veterans with PTSD. Veterans who often experience hypervigilance, isolation and reintegration challenges will find dogs as a better compliment to combating PTSD than other animal types,\u201d Woodruff said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found it very reassuring that the Veterans\u2019 responses at the conclusion of the study, proves our canine programming has impact. This study mirrors what we have heard since we opened the program in January 2011. Responses such as: \u2018My dog has made me more comfortable in public places and around people I don\u2019t know.\u2019 \u2018My dog has helped decrease my isolation by fostering my socialization and reducing my PTSD symptoms.\u2019 and \u2018I\u2019m a better spouse, parent and person overall.\u2019 We hear this anecdotal evidence on a weekly basis and although owner trainer canine models are more time consuming and intensive, the long-term benefits far out weight an easier, shorter approach,\u201d said Clear Path\u2019s Co-Founder and CEO Melissa Spicer.<\/p>\n

The article was co-authored by Dessa Bergen-Cico, PhD, and Brooks Gump, PhD, in the Department of Public Health at Syracuse University; Yvonne Smith, PhD, and Collin Gooley, MSW, in the School of Social Work at Syracuse University; and Karen Wolford, PhD, in the Department of Psychology at SUNY Oswego; along with Clear Path for Veterans\u2019 staff members Kathleen Hannon, Spicer and Woodruff.<\/p>\n

This study was supported, in part, through funding from the National Science Foundation\u2019s Research Education for Undergraduates and is one of the few studies of its kind.<\/p>\n

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine is the leading peer-reviewed journal providing scientific research for the evaluation and integration of complementary and alternative medicine into mainstream medical practice. The complete article can be found at liebertpub.com\/doi\/10.1089\/acm.2018.0179.<\/p>\n

For more information about Clear Path for Veterans\u2019 Dogs2Vets Program, visit ClearPath4Vets.com\/Programs\/Canine-Program.<\/p>\n

About Clear Path: Clear Path for Veterans is Upstate New York\u2019s Veteran Resource Center, serving as a hub of information, programs and resources. Located just 14 miles east of Syracuse, the Chittenango-based non-profit relies on partnerships and collaboration, allowing it to act as a single point of contact for active duty, Reserve, Guard, Veterans, and their families to connect them with what they need within 23 counties in New York.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Study at Clear Path for Veterans finds Veterans benefit \u2018significantly\u2019 from canines Veterans benefit significantly from dog ownership in combination with a structured dog training program. That is the finding of a scientific study recently published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine: Paradigm, Practice, and Policy Advancing Integrative Health. According to the study\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":98169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23810,8,21571],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellbeing","category-top-story","category-veterans"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98168\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/98169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}