Recruiting

Canine-Assisted Therapy

Sponsor:

University of Chicago

Code:

NCT05788783

Conditions

Emotion Regulation

Behavioral Disorder

Self Esteem

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 8 - 17

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Recovery & Care Canine-Assisted Therapy

Canine Education & Bonding

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this pilot project is to test for initial efficacy of the Recovery \& Care Canine-Assisted Therapy program that has been developed and implemented in Lawrence Hall, a Chicago-based residential treatment center for maltreated youth. In this study, the investigators test the feasibility, acceptability, and short-term efficacy of expanding the program to a group of youth currently in outpatient treatment for social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Results from this project will provide preliminary evidence of whether a structured, goal-oriented intervention program focused on dog training activities has direct impact on increasing youth emotional self-regulation, impulse control, and self-efficacy, which are important targets for intervention among youth with mental health problems. If successful, this project could lead to a larger, randomized control clinical trials study that tests the longitudinal impact of the program that could further lead to national dissemination of the Recovery \& Care curriculum as an alternative therapeutic approach.

Conditions

Emotion Regulation

Behavioral Disorder

Self Esteem

Study ID

NCT05788783

Start date

Feb 26, 2024

Status verified date

Mar, 2025

Completion date

Dec, 2025

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec, 2025

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 8 - 17

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Currently receiving outpatient mental health services at the University of Chicago or have received outpatient mental health services from the community in the last 12 months.
  • Available for scheduling during the entire 6-week intervention program
  • Interest in participating in the program

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe cognitive, psychiatric, or physical condition or limitation that would prevent participation.
  • Severe animal allergy
  • Animal phobia
  • History of mistreatment of animals.
  • Above-average scores on both measures of behavioral regulation and emotional regulation
  • WASI t-score of intellectual ability < 60.

Study Design

Enrollment

48 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Experimental

Active intervention. Youth will be assigned to the active Recovery \& Care Canine-Assisted Therapy intervention arm.

other: Active control

Active control intervention. Youth will be assigned to the active Canine Education \& Bonding arm.

Interventions

Recovery & Care Canine-Assisted Therapy

Active intervention. An 6-week session of structured, goal-oriented activities where youth focus on mastering dog obedience and dog training skills. Each session is 1 hour and 15 minutes in length and includes education, review of prior sessions, and specific skill-building activities. Skill-building activities progress in complexity during the course of the 6-week curriculum.

Canine Education & Bonding

Active control intervention. An 6-week session of semi-structured activities. Sessions are 45 minutes in length. Youth in this condition engage in an educational component, passive observation of dog-training skills, and an active free-play session with the dog-handler teams.

Primary outcome measure

  • Emotional Stroop [ Time Frame: Up to 1-month post-intervention ]
  • Change in Emotional Stroop [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to up to 1-month post-intervention ]
  • Flanker Task [ Time Frame: Up to 1-month post-intervention ]
  • Change in Flanker Task [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to up to 1-month post-intervention ]
  • Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale [ Time Frame: Up to 1-month post-intervention ]
  • Change in Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to up to 1-month post-intervention ]
  • Change in Negative Affect [ Time Frame: Change from the beginning to the end of each of the 6 weekly intervention sessions ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Kristen Jacobson, PhD

773-834-0265kjacobso@bsd.uchicago.edu

Jennifer A Ponting

773-702-8669io-ura@uchicago.edu

Locations

University of Chicago

Recruiting

Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60637

Contacts

Kristen C Jacobson, PhD

773-834-0265kjacobson@bsd.uchicago.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of Chicago

Last update posted

Aug 21, 2025

Last verified

Mar, 2025

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Chicago on 2025-08-21.