Effect of Canine Play Interventions as a Stress Reduction Strategy in College Students

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-1-2018

Publication Title

Nurse Educator

Abstract

© Copyright 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. Forty-eight students engaged with a therapy dog for 15 minutes during finals week to evaluate the effect on stress. Psychological (Perceived Stress Scale, visual analog scales) and physiologic stress (vital signs, salivary cortisol) measures were collected before and after the intervention. Paired t tests showed significant reductions in all psychological and physiologic measures except diastolic blood pressure. This supports animal-assisted therapy as an effective stress management strategy for nursing and other college students.

DOI

10.1097/NNE.0000000000000451

Volume

43

Issue

3

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