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{{Short description|Type of service dog}}
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[[File:Autism_service_dog_at_home.jpg|thumb|alt=A service dog encourages outward expression from a young boy with autism.|A service dog encourages outward expression from a young boy with [[autism]].]] A '''psychiatric service dog''' is a recognized sub-category of [[service dog]] trained to assist their handler with a psychiatric [[disability]] or a mental disability, such as [[Obsessive–compulsive disorder|obsessive-compulsive disorder]], [[post-traumatic stress disorder]], [[schizophrenia]], [[Depression (mood)|depression]], [[anxiety]], and [[bipolar disorder]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Esnayra J |title=Help from man's best friend. Psychiatric service dogs are helping consumers deal with the symptoms of mental illness |journal=Behav Healthc |volume=27 |issue=7 |pages=30–2 |date=July 2007 |pmid=18027616 |doi= |url=}}</ref><ref name="SDC 74">[http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/74 Service Dog Central - Psychiatric Service Dogs] Retrieved on August 17, 2007.</ref>
{{More citations needed|date=August 2020}}
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A '''psychiatric assistance dog''' or '''psychiatric service dog''' is a sub-category of [[assistance dog]] trained to assist their handler with a psychiatric [[disability]] or a mental disability, such as [[Obsessive–compulsive disorder|obsessive-compulsive disorder]], [[post-traumatic stress disorder]], [[schizophrenia]], [[Depression (mood)|depression]], [[anxiety]], and [[bipolar disorder]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Esnayra J |title=Help from man's best friend. Psychiatric service dogs are helping consumers deal with the symptoms of mental illness |journal=Behav Healthc |volume=27 |issue=7 |pages=30–2 |date=July 2007 |pmid=18027616 }}</ref><ref name="SDC 74">[http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/74 Service Dog Central - Psychiatric Service Dogs] Retrieved on August 17, 2007.</ref>


A psychiatric service dog can assist their handler by providing a safe presence that grounds them; the dog may perhaps lean on the person to provide a calming pressure.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.canidae.com/blog/2010/05/what-does-psychiatric-service-dog-do/|title=What Does a Psychiatric Service Dog Do?|work=CANIDAE®|access-date=2017-09-24|language=en-us}}</ref>
A psychiatric assistance dog can assist their handler by providing a safe presence that grounds them; the dog may perhaps lean on the person to provide a calming pressure.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Esnayra|first=Joan|date=July 2007|title=Help from man's best friend: psychiatric service dogs are helping consumers deal with the symptoms of mental illness|url=https://www.northeaststate.edu:2068/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T002&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=49&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=2&docId=GALE%7CA167419384&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZONE-MOD1&prodId=AONE&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA167419384&searchId=R4&userGroupName=tel_a_nestcc&inPS=true|journal=Behavioral Healthcare|via=Northeast State Database}}</ref>


== Training ==
== Training ==
[[File:Woman kept on a harness hooked to Therapy Dog.png|alt=Psychiatric Service Dog In Training|thumb|Woman kept on a harness hooked to a Autism Service dog]]
[[File:samivest.jpg|thumb|alt=Psychiatric Service Dog In Training|A psychiatric service dog in training]]
[[File:Service Dog in lap.jpeg|thumb|Service dog being trained to run over and lie in handler's lap to ground handler on command.]]
[[File:Service Dog in lap.jpeg|thumb|Service dog being trained to run over and lie in handler's lap to ground handler on command.]]
Like all [[assistance dog]]s, a psychiatric service dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks that mitigate their handler's disability.<ref name="SDC 77">[http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/77 Service Dog Central - Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks]</ref>
Like all [[assistance dog]]s, a psychiatric assistance dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks that mitigate their handler's disability.<ref name="SDC 77">[http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/77 Service Dog Central - Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks]</ref>
Training to mitigate a psychiatric disability may include providing environmental assessment (in such cases as [[paranoia]] or [[hallucination]]s), signaling behaviors (such as interrupting repetitive or injurious behaviors), reminding the handler to take medication, retrieving objects, guiding the handler from stressful situations, or acting as a brace if the handler becomes [[dizziness|dizzy]]. Moreover, the dog can be an extremely useful companion in any controlled training concerning cognitive functions, such as walking the dog.<ref name="psds">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929175601/http://www.psychdog.org/tasks.html Psychiatric Service Dog Society - Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks (retrieved from Internet Archive)]</ref><ref name="iaadp">[http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html International Association of Assistance Dog Partners - Service Dog Tasks for Psychiatric Disabilities] Retrieved on January 31, 2007.</ref><ref name="SDC 77" /><ref>http://www.kumla.com</ref>
Training to mitigate a psychiatric disability may include providing environmental assessment (in such cases as [[paranoia]] or [[hallucination]]s), signaling behaviors (such as interrupting repetitive or injurious behaviors), reminding the handler to take medication, retrieving objects, guiding the handler from stressful situations, or acting as a brace if the handler becomes [[dizziness|dizzy]]. Moreover, the dog can be an extremely useful companion in any controlled training concerning cognitive functions, such as walking the dog.<ref name="iaadp">[http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html International Association of Assistance Dog Partners - Service Dog Tasks for Psychiatric Disabilities] Retrieved on January 31, 2007.</ref><ref name="SDC 77" />


Psychiatric service dogs may be of any [[dog breed|breed]] or size suitable for public work. The ADA regulations specify that only dogs, or in specific cases, miniature horses, may work as service animals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm|title=ADA 2010 Revised Requirements: Service Animals|website=www.ada.gov|access-date=2019-04-23}}</ref> Many psychiatric service dogs are trained by the person who will become the handler—usually with the help of a professional trainer. Others are trained by assistance or service dog programs. Assistance dog organizations are increasingly recognizing the need for dogs to help individuals with psychiatric disabilities, and there are even organizations dedicated specifically to supporting psychiatric service dog handlers.<ref>[http://www.psychdogpartners.org Psychiatric Service Dog Partners] Retrieved on August 5, 2012.</ref>
Many psychiatric assistance dogs are trained by the person who will become the handler—usually with the help of a professional trainer. Others are trained by assistance or service dog programs. Assistance dog organizations are increasingly recognizing the need for dogs to help individuals with psychiatric disabilities, and there are even organizations dedicated specifically to supporting psychiatric assistance dog handlers.


== Accessibility ==
== Accessibility ==
{{Globalize|section|2=US|2name=the US|date=December 2024}}
In the [[United States]], the [[Americans with Disabilities Act]] defines a disability as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual,"<ref>[http://finduslaw.com/americans-disabilities-act-1990-ada-42-us-code-chapter-126 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990] Retrieved on January 31, 2007.</ref> and therefore allows handlers of psychiatric service dogs the same rights and protections afforded to those with other types of [[service animal]]s.<ref name="SDC 74" /> Service dogs, including psychiatric service dogs, are allowed to accompany their handler in any location that is normally accessible to the public regardless of whether health codes or business policies normally would allow a dog to enter, provided the dog behaves properly and does not interfere with normal operations (e.g. barking, biting, defecating, or obstructing other people) or pose a direct threat to the safety of others.


In the US, the [[Air Carrier Access Act]] has permitted psychiatric service dogs to travel in the cabin with their handler. Due to negative incidents with services dogs and [[emotional support animal]]s, from 2018 through 2020 there has been a push to limit or restrict dogs on US flights.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/us-will-redefine-service-animals-flying-with-their-owners.html|title=US will redefine 'service animals' flying with their owners on flights|date=January 22, 2020|website=CNBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animals-including-emotional-support-animals|title=Service Animals (Including Emotional Support Animals) &#124; US Department of Transportation|website=www.transportation.gov}}</ref> During this time the act treated psychiatric service dogs and emotional support animals the same and required the handler to provide paperwork for their dog. In December 2020, a revision of the act meant that the two were no longer treated the same, and psychiatric service dogs were treated the equally to other types of service dogs.
An alternative to a psychiatric service dog is an [[emotional support animal]], these dogs also provide assistance related to a psychological disability, but is not required to have any specific training. These do not qualify as service animals in the United States, though they do qualify for several exceptions in housing and air travel.
<ref>{{cite web |title=Everything You Need to Know about Psychiatric Service Dogs |url=https://myserviceanimal.org/blog/psychiatric-service-dog/ |website=MyServiceAnimal}}</ref>


While some organizations offer certification or identification cards for service dogs, there is no federally mandated or recognized certification process for service dogs in the US. The Americans with Disabilities Act ([[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|ADA]]) does not require service dogs to be registered or certified. Handlers are not legally obligated to obtain or carry any specific documentation for their Psychiatric Service Dogs. However, having such identification can be helpful in situations where proof of the dog's training and status may be required, such as when traveling or accessing certain public accommodations.
The [[Fair Housing Act]] also allows tenants who have service animals or emotional support animals to stay in housing that does not allow pets.<ref>[http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/states/shared/working/r10/fh/questions Questions and Answers about Fair Housing]</ref> Some individual state laws may provide additional guidelines or protection.

The Air Carrier Access Act also permits psychiatric service dogs and emotional support animals to be permitted to travel in the cabin when accompanied by a person with a disability.<ref>[http://www.iaadp.org/usdot-may2008-airline-guidance.html Air Travel with an Assistance Dog] Retrieved on April 5, 2010.</ref>

===Social issues with accessibility===

People with psychiatric service dogs often face several problems that other service dog handlers typically do not experience. While guide dogs for the blind, hearing-impaired guide dogs, and dogs that assist those who use wheelchairs are well-known to the public, however, dogs for psychiatric conditions are not. This hinders the public’s understanding of the role played by each of these types of animals, as well as their perceptions regarding the legitimacy of their integration.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schoenfeld-Tacher|first=Regina|last2=Hellyer|first2=Peter|last3=Cheung|first3=Louana|last4=Kogan|first4=Lori|date=2017-06-15|title=Public Perceptions of Service Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, and Therapy Dogs|url=http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/6/642|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health|language=en|volume=14|issue=6|pages=642|doi=10.3390/ijerph14060642|issn=1660-4601|pmc=5486328|pmid=28617350}}</ref> Further adding to this issue is that many people with psychiatric conditions do not appear to have anything externally wrong with them, and because of the heavy social stigma of mental illness, the handler may be reluctant to explain their condition or the dog's trained tasks even in the vaguest of terms. In addition, the dogs can be any size (even toy breeds) depending on their trained task, yet there is a common public misconception that all service dogs are medium or large breeds. Any of these issues can lead to other people inappropriately impugning the dog's status or pressing the handler to divulge [[Protected health information|medical information]] about themselves.


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Assistance dog]]
* [[Assistance dog]]
* [[Autism service dog]]
* [[Autism assistance dog]]
* [[Guide dog]]
* [[Hearing dog]]
* [[Medical response dog]]
* [[Mobility assistance dog]]
* [[Seizure response dog]]


==References==
==References==
* http://www.ada.gov/
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Psychiatric Service Dog}}
* [https://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Psychiatric Assistance Dog}}
[[Category:Assistance dogs]]
[[Category:Assistance dogs]]


Latest revision as of 10:05, 10 December 2024

A psychiatric assistance dog or psychiatric service dog is a sub-category of assistance dog trained to assist their handler with a psychiatric disability or a mental disability, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.[1][2]

A psychiatric assistance dog can assist their handler by providing a safe presence that grounds them; the dog may perhaps lean on the person to provide a calming pressure.[3]

Training

[edit]
Psychiatric Service Dog In Training
A psychiatric service dog in training
Service dog being trained to run over and lie in handler's lap to ground handler on command.

Like all assistance dogs, a psychiatric assistance dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks that mitigate their handler's disability.[4] Training to mitigate a psychiatric disability may include providing environmental assessment (in such cases as paranoia or hallucinations), signaling behaviors (such as interrupting repetitive or injurious behaviors), reminding the handler to take medication, retrieving objects, guiding the handler from stressful situations, or acting as a brace if the handler becomes dizzy. Moreover, the dog can be an extremely useful companion in any controlled training concerning cognitive functions, such as walking the dog.[5][4]

Many psychiatric assistance dogs are trained by the person who will become the handler—usually with the help of a professional trainer. Others are trained by assistance or service dog programs. Assistance dog organizations are increasingly recognizing the need for dogs to help individuals with psychiatric disabilities, and there are even organizations dedicated specifically to supporting psychiatric assistance dog handlers.

Accessibility

[edit]

In the US, the Air Carrier Access Act has permitted psychiatric service dogs to travel in the cabin with their handler. Due to negative incidents with services dogs and emotional support animals, from 2018 through 2020 there has been a push to limit or restrict dogs on US flights.[6][7] During this time the act treated psychiatric service dogs and emotional support animals the same and required the handler to provide paperwork for their dog. In December 2020, a revision of the act meant that the two were no longer treated the same, and psychiatric service dogs were treated the equally to other types of service dogs. [8]

While some organizations offer certification or identification cards for service dogs, there is no federally mandated or recognized certification process for service dogs in the US. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not require service dogs to be registered or certified. Handlers are not legally obligated to obtain or carry any specific documentation for their Psychiatric Service Dogs. However, having such identification can be helpful in situations where proof of the dog's training and status may be required, such as when traveling or accessing certain public accommodations.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Esnayra J (July 2007). "Help from man's best friend. Psychiatric service dogs are helping consumers deal with the symptoms of mental illness". Behav Healthc. 27 (7): 30–2. PMID 18027616.
  2. ^ Service Dog Central - Psychiatric Service Dogs Retrieved on August 17, 2007.
  3. ^ Esnayra, Joan (July 2007). "Help from man's best friend: psychiatric service dogs are helping consumers deal with the symptoms of mental illness". Behavioral Healthcare – via Northeast State Database.
  4. ^ a b Service Dog Central - Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks
  5. ^ International Association of Assistance Dog Partners - Service Dog Tasks for Psychiatric Disabilities Retrieved on January 31, 2007.
  6. ^ "US will redefine 'service animals' flying with their owners on flights". CNBC. January 22, 2020.
  7. ^ "Service Animals (Including Emotional Support Animals) | US Department of Transportation". www.transportation.gov.
  8. ^ "Everything You Need to Know about Psychiatric Service Dogs". MyServiceAnimal.
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