A psychiatric assistance dog or psychiatric service dog is a sub-category of assistance dog trained to assist their handler with a psychiatric

disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be Cognitive disability, cognitive, Developmental disability, d ...

or a mental disability, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder,

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...

schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...

, depression,

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...

, and

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...

.Service Dog Central - Psychiatric Service Dogs
Retrieved on August 17, 2007. 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.

Training

Like all assistance dogs, a psychiatric assistance dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks that mitigate their handler's disability.Service Dog Central - Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks
/ref> Training to mitigate a psychiatric disability may include providing environmental assessment (in such cases as

paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety, suspicion, or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of co ...

hallucination A hallucination is a perception in the absence of an external stimulus that has the compelling sense of reality. They are distinguishable from several related phenomena, such as dreaming ( REM sleep), which does not involve wakefulness; pse ...

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 dizzy. Moreover, the dog can be an extremely useful companion in any controlled training concerning cognitive functions, such as walking the dog.International Association of Assistance Dog Partners - Service Dog Tasks for Psychiatric Disabilities
Retrieved on January 31, 2007. 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

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 service dogs and

emotional support animal An emotional support animal (ESA) is an animal that provides support to individuals with a mental health or psychiatric disability. Emotional support animals are not required to be trained. Any animal that provides support, comfort, or aid, to an ...

s, from 2018 through 2020 there has been a push to limit or restrict dogs on US flights. 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. 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.

References

External links

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended
{{DEFAULTSORT:Psychiatric Assistance Dog Assistance dogs nl:ADL-hond no:Servicehund

Training

Accessibility

See also

References

External links