Feasibility of a Dog Training Therapy Program in UC Outpatient Youth Receiving Psychiatric Services

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Emotion Regulation, Behavioral Disorder, Self Esteem

In brief

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.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT05788783

Run by

University of Chicago

People needed

48

Starts

2024-02-26

Expected to finish

2025-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2025-08-21

Who can join

Age: 8 and older, up to 17. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• 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

You may not qualify if…

• 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.

Where it is running

• University of Chicago — Chicago, Illinois, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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