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Animal-Assisted Interaction for Loneliness

N/A
Waitlist Available
Led By Nancy R. Gee, PhD
Research Sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
18 years of age or older
Be older than 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 2 years
Awards & highlights

Study Summary

This trial will test whether interacting with animals can improve patients' mood, anxiety, loneliness, quality of life, and indicators of health care services, compared to talking to another person or receiving usual care.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for English-speaking adults over 18 who are expected to stay in the hospital for at least four days and can consent. It's not suitable for those with a fear or allergy to dogs, contact precautions due to infection risks, or cognitive impairments that prevent understanding the study.Check my eligibility
What is being tested?
The study examines if therapy dog interactions improve mood, anxiety, loneliness, quality of life better than just having conversations or usual care. It also looks at health service use like hospital stays and costs among patients admitted at Virginia Commonwealth University Health.See study design
What are the potential side effects?
Since this trial involves animal-assisted interaction and conversation as interventions, there are no medical side effects typically associated with drugs; however, participants may experience emotional responses related to interacting with animals.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
Select...
I am 18 years old or older.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~2 years
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 2 years for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary outcome measures
Attrition rate
Number of participants enrolled
Secondary outcome measures
Change in anxiety
Change in depression
Change in loneliness

Trial Design

3Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Animal-assisted interaction (AAI)Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
Dogs and handlers will visit with patients for 20 minutes and discuss semi-scripted topics.
Group II: Conversational interactionActive Control1 Intervention
Handlers will have a 20 minute semi-scripted conversation with patients.
Group III: Treatment as usualActive Control1 Intervention
Patients will receive treatment as usual.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Animal-assisted interaction
2021
N/A
~80

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Virginia Commonwealth UniversityLead Sponsor
697 Previous Clinical Trials
22,884,924 Total Patients Enrolled
1 Trials studying Loneliness
190 Patients Enrolled for Loneliness
Waltham Petcare Science InstituteUNKNOWN
Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)UNKNOWN
1 Previous Clinical Trials
11 Total Patients Enrolled

Media Library

Animal-assisted interaction Clinical Trial Eligibility Overview. Trial Name: NCT05089201 — N/A
Loneliness Research Study Groups: Animal-assisted interaction (AAI), Conversational interaction, Treatment as usual
Loneliness Clinical Trial 2023: Animal-assisted interaction Highlights & Side Effects. Trial Name: NCT05089201 — N/A
Animal-assisted interaction 2023 Treatment Timeline for Medical Study. Trial Name: NCT05089201 — N/A
Loneliness Patient Testimony for trial: Trial Name: NCT05089201 — N/A

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.

What is the cap on participants for this experiment?

"Affirmative. Per the data on clinicaltrials.gov, this medical experiment is presently looking for qualified participants and was first posted on November 16th 2021 with its most recent edit happening on November 10th 2022. The trial requires 180 patients to be recruited from a single site."

Answered by AI

Does this research endeavor have capacity to take on new participants?

"Affirmative. As per the information accessible on clinicaltrials.gov, this study is seeking participants at present. It was first posted on November 16th 2021 and has been updated recently as of November 10th 2022. The research project necessitates 180 patients to be recruited from a single site."

Answered by AI

Who else is applying?

What state do they live in?
Virginia
What site did they apply to?
Virginia Commonwealth University
What portion of applicants met pre-screening criteria?
Met criteria
How many prior treatments have patients received?
0
3+

Why did patients apply to this trial?

I love dogs and have always been interested in service dogs. I have struggled a lot with my anxiety and love to cuddle up with my dog at home. I am away at school now, however, and do not have a pet to be around.
PatientReceived no prior treatments
Recent research and studies
clinicaltrials.govStudy
A Pilot Study to Examine the Impact of a Therapy Dog Intervention on Loneliness and Related Health Outcomes in Vulnerable Populations
2021. "A Pilot Study to Examine the Impact of a Therapy Dog Intervention on Loneliness and Related Health Outcomes in Vulnerable Populations". ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05089201.
~21 spots leftby Apr 2025
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