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Can Man's best friend boost mental health? new study says maybe.

NCT ID NCT05004298

Symptom relief Sponsor: Fundació Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested a 10-session dog-assisted therapy program for 60 adults with severe mental illness. The goal was to see if spending time with trained therapy dogs could help participants build positive mental health behaviors like communication and socialization. Researchers measured changes using a standard questionnaire before and after the program.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Animal Assisted Therapy (dog-assisted group sessions)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could provide a simple, enjoyable way to help people with mental illness improve social skills, communication, and overall well-being.
What could go wrong
This is a small, completed study with no control group, so results may not be definitive. Benefits may vary widely between individuals.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

60 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Oct 2022

Finished

Sep 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * People diagnosed with a mental disorder * Presence of social dysfunction * Over 18 years * Voluntary acceptance to the study Exclusion Criteria: * Allergies to dogs * Phobia of dogs * History of animal abuse * People whose cognitive capacity does not allow them to follow the sessions of the intervention program

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

mental disorder psychiatric disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Mental disorders, severe

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Hospital De la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

    Barcelona, 08025, Spain

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.