Maggie O'Haire

Interests

Research

Human-Animal Interaction | Human-Animal Bond | Animal-Assisted Intervention | Service Animals | Dogs | Psychology

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Chapters

• Mao, A., Nieforth, L., Rodriguez, K., & O'Haire, M. (2023). Companion animals in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. In The Role of Companion Animals in the Treatment of Mental Disorders.. American Psychiatric Association.

Journals/Publications

• Leighton, S. C., Rodriguez, K. E., Jensen, C. L., MacLean, E. L., Davis, L. W., Ashbeck, E. L., Bedrick, E. J., & O'Haire, M. E. (2024). Service Dogs for Veterans and Military Members With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial. JAMA network open, 7(6), e2414686.
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  Military members and veterans (hereafter, veterans) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increasingly seek psychiatric service dogs as a complementary intervention, yet the effectiveness of service dogs is understudied.
• Nieforth, L. O., Guerin, N. A., Stehli, A., Schuck, S. E., Yi, K., & O'Haire, M. E. (2024). Observation of human-animal interaction for research (OHAIRE) behavior coding in a randomized control trial of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a canine-assisted intervention. Frontiers in psychiatry, 15, 1327380.
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  Diagnosed in about 10% of children in the United States, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by symptoms including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Traditional interventions, such as pharmacological and psychological interventions, are often used in conjunction with integrative health options, such as animal-assisted interventions. The objective of this manuscript is to report behavior coding findings from a randomized control trial of children with ADHD.
• Nieforth, L. O., Leighton, S. C., Schwichtenberg, A. J., MacDermid Wadsworth, S., & O'Haire, M. E. (2024). A Preliminary Analysis of Psychiatric Service Dog Placements and Sleep Patterns of Partners of Veterans With PTSD. Anthrozoos, 37(1), 125-136.
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  Partners of veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at risk of a variety of challenges, and it is unknown whether psychiatric service dogs are disruptive to their sleep or provide similar benefits that are seen in the limited literature on veterans. As part of a larger clinical trial examining the efficacy of psychiatric service dogs for veterans with PTSD and their families, this study focused on sleep patterns of veterans' partners ( = 88), incorporating both subjective (clinically validated self-report surveys) and objective sleep measures (actigraphy). Linear regression was used to analyze differences in relation to group (intervention versus control) at follow up, controlling for baseline score. Results revealed no significant differences between groups for both the subjective surveys ( = 0.15; = 0.75) and the objective actigraphy measures ( = 0.06-0.98). This suggests that psychiatric service dogs are not disruptive, nor do they provide any benefits to partner sleep. Partners had sleep patterns on par with national norms at baseline and remained at such levels at follow up. Ultimately, using both subjective and objective measures, we found no impact of psychiatric service dogs on the sleep of veterans' partners.
• Nieforth, L. O., Rodriguez, K. E., Zhuang, R., Miller, E. A., Sabbaghi, A., Schwichtenberg, A. J., Granger, D. A., & O'Haire, M. E. (2024). The cortisol awakening response in a 3 month clinical trial of service dogs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Scientific reports, 14(1), 1664.
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  Recent literature suggests that service dogs may be a valuable complementary intervention option for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military veterans due to the potential influence on stress response dysregulation. The aim of this short-term longitudinal study was to quantify the impact of service dogs in US military veterans with PTSD with particular attention to the cortisol awakening response. A sub aim of the study was to empirically evaluate the physiological effects of PTSD service dogs on veteran partners. We conducted a clinical trial (ID: NCT03245814) that assessed the cortisol awakening response for 245 participants at baseline and 3 months follow-up across an intervention group (service dog: veterans n = 88, partners n = 46) and control group (usual care: n = 73, partners n = 38). A total of N = 161 veterans and N = 84 partners collected whole saliva samples via a passive drool collection immediately upon waking, 30 min after waking, and 45 min after waking on three consecutive weekdays at baseline and again at follow-up. Mixed model repeated measures (MMRM) with a fixed effect of the intervention group (service dog or control) were utilized. Covariates considered for the model included time of awakening, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, prior day experiences (measured via ecological momentary assessment), traumatic brain injury, age, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, smoking status, alcohol use, physical health, and body mass index. A total of 3951 salivary samples were collected (veterans: 2613, partners: 1338). MMRM results demonstrated that veterans with a service dog had a statistically significant higher cortisol awakening response, including the area under the curve with respect to both increase (AUCi, β = 1.46, p = 0.046) and absolute increase (AINC, β = 0.05, p = 0.035). Results were not statistically significant for partners. Findings suggest that veterans with service dogs have a higher, less blunted CAR in comparison to veterans receiving usual care alone. In veterans with a blunted morning cortisol response, service dog placement could help boost their morning cortisol response.
• Rodriguez, K. E., Rispoli, M., Kelleher, B. L., MacLean, E. L., & O'Haire, M. E. (2024). The effects of service dogs for children with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers: a cross-sectional study. Frontiers in psychiatry, 15, 1355970.
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  Service dogs are an increasingly popular complementary intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. However, despite increasing demand, there remains a lack of empirical research on their potential benefits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of service dogs on children with autism and their caregivers.
• LaFollette, M. R., Cloutier, S., Brady, C. M., O Haire, M. E., & Gaskill, B. N. (2023). Benchmarking Enrichment Efforts in the US & Canada Across Species and Enrichment Categories. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS, 62(4), 303-316.
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  Enrichment is important for animal welfare and data quality. Provision of enrichment opportunities varies between species and enrichment category. However, data benchmarking these differences does not exist. Our objective was to characterize enrichment provision and associated factors across species in the US and Canada. Personnel who work with research animals (n = 1098) in the US and Canada voluntarily responded to online promotions and completed a survey about enrichment used for the species they worked with most, their control of and wish for more enrichment, stress or pain in the animals they worked the most with, and demographics. All participants (except those working with rats) received the same questionnaire regardless of species to allow objectivity, as the effects of many enrichment items on some species have not yet been determined. The questionnaire asked about enrichments that were beneficial to at least one species. The provision of enrichment was allocated into 2 outcome variables: diversity and frequency per enrichment category. Results showed a significant interaction between enrichment category and species. Generally, physical, nutritional, and sensory enrichments were provided less often than social enrichment. In addition, nonhuman primates received more diverse and more frequent enrichment than did other species (twice as much as rats and mice). Enrichment was provided less frequently by personnel who wished they could do more than the status quo. Both enrichment frequency and diversity were higher in respondents from Canada, those who had more control over provision, and those who had been in the field longer. While our results cannot be used to determine the quality of enrichment provided to various species, they do provide information on current enrichment practices in the US and Canada and identify differences in implementation by species and enrichment category. The data also indicate provision of enrichment is influenced by factors such as country and individual control over enrichment. This information can also be used to identify areas for greater enrichment efforts for some species (for example, rats and mice) and categories, with the ultimate goal of improving animal welfare.
• Leighton, S. C., Rodriguez, K. E., Nieforth, L. O., & O'Haire, M. E. (2023). Service dogs for autistic children and family system functioning: a constant comparative analysis. Frontiers in psychiatry, 14, 1210095.
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  Service dog placements for autistic children are growing in popularity, yet findings to date are mixed. Moreover, no study to date has examined these placements through the lens of a recognized theoretical model. The purpose of this study is twofold: to explore experiences reported by caretakers of autistic children involved in a service dog program, and to contextualize findings within an established theoretical framework.
• Leighton, S. C., Rodriguez, K. E., Zhuang, R., Jensen, C. L., Miller, E. A., Sabbaghi, A., & O'Haire, M. E. (2023). Psychiatric service dog placements are associated with better daily psychosocial functioning for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy.
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  Psychiatric service dog placements may benefit psychosocial functioning for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however, these effects have never been examined directly in daily life. This nonrandomized longitudinal clinical trial quantified the efficacy of psychiatric service dogs for daily psychosocial functioning among = 168 veterans with PTSD using ecological momentary assessment (EMA).
• Nieforth, L. O., Craig, E. A., Behmer, V. A., Wadsworth, S. M., & O'Haire, M. E. (2023). PTSD service dogs foster resilience among veterans and military families. Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.), 42(16), 13207-13219.
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  Military deployment and reintegration challenges permeate the lives and relationships of Veterans, their spouses, and their families. Among these challenges, 23% of post-9/11 Veterans have been diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psychiatric service dogs have been found to help clinically alleviate PTSD symptoms when used as a complementary intervention. However, minimal research exists that explores the role of the service dog as a mechanism for cultivating resilience within the military family system. Researchers utilized a qualitative, constant comparative approach to analyze self-reported experiences of 101 individuals, including Veterans ( = 67) and their spouses ( = 34). Analyzed through the framework of the Theory of Resilience and Relational Load (Afifi et al., 2016), findings suggest complex communication processes that facilitate relational and family adaptation. These processes encompassed (a) the role of the service dog in building emotional reserves, (b) relational load introduced when caring for the service dog, and (c) the service dog's facilitation of relational maintenance behaviors among family members that contributed to communal orientation. Based on the results of this qualitative analysis, researchers suggest educational interventions where service dog trainers and mental health practitioners can incorporate relational maintenance strategies and family-focused approaches to integrating service dogs as military family members.
• Nieforth, L. O., Rodriguez, K. E., & O'Haire, M. E. (2023). Benefits and challenges of mobility and medical alert service dogs for caregivers of service dog recipients. Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technology, 18(6), 743-751.
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  Mobility and medical alert service dogs are an assistive technology for individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions. Informal caregivers of individuals with disabilities are subject to physical and emotional stress due to their responsibilities. Understanding how service dogs, an increasingly common assistive technology, may add to or subtract from caregiver stress is crucial for promoting caregiver well-being. The purpose of this study was to analyze caregiver accounts to understand their perspective on benefits and challenges they face with mobility and medical alert service dogs.
• Nieforth, L. O., Schwichtenberg, A. J., & O'Haire, M. E. (2023). Animal-Assisted Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of the Literature from 2016 to 2020. Review journal of autism and developmental disorders, 10(2), 255-280.
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  In the last five years, the literature on animal-assisted intervention (AAI) for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has doubled in size from 42 studies prior to 2015 to 85 studies (cumulative total assessed in 2020). Horses remain the most commonly researched animal for AAI, followed by dogs. The most commonly researched outcome was social interaction, across 21 studies. Though the quantity of studies has increased, issues with methodological rigor remain. Results highlight the need for a continued focus on methodological rigor as well as refining the structure of animal-assisted interventions, addressing the welfare needs of the animals involved, and continuing to establish an evidence base of both significant and nonsignificant findings for AAI for individuals with ASD.
• Valiyamattam, G. J., Katti, H., Chaganti, V. K., O'Haire, M. E., & Sachdeva, V. (2023). Circumscribed interests in autism: Can animals potentially re-engage social attention?. Research in developmental disabilities, 137, 104486.
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  Circumscribed interests (CI) in autism are highly fixated and repetitive interests, generally centering on non-social and idiosyncratic topics. The increased salience of CI objects often results in decreased social attention, thus interfering with social interactions. Behavioural, biomarker and neuroimaging research points to enhanced social functioning in autistic children in the presence of animals. For instance, neuroimaging studies report a greater activation of reward systems in the brain in response to animal stimuli whereas eye-tracking studies reveal a higher visual preference for animal faces in autistic individuals. This potentially greater social reward attached to animals, introduces the interesting and yet unexplored possibility that the presence of competing animal stimuli may reduce the disproportionately higher visual attention to CI objects.
• Jensen, C. L., Rodriguez, K. E., MacLean, E. L., Abdul Wahab, A. H., Sabbaghi, A., & O'Haire, M. E. (2022). Characterizing veteran and PTSD service dog teams: Exploring potential mechanisms of symptom change and canine predictors of efficacy. PloS one, 17(7), e0269186.
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  Psychiatric service dogs are an emerging complementary intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Initial evidence suggests that partnership with a service dog may be related to less PTSD symptom severity. However, it remains unclear how or why this might occur. To address this gap, we conducted a longitudinal investigation of 82 post-9/11 military members or veterans and their PTSD service dogs to (1) evaluate service dog characteristics as potential predictors of efficacy, (2) assess dog and human characteristics as potential predictors of veteran-dog bond, and (3) explore potential mechanisms for mental health outcomes. Aim 1 results demonstrated that most service dog characteristics did not predict veterans' mental health outcomes, but lower service dog excitability was associated with less PTSD symptom severity at follow-up. Aim 2 results showed that closer dog-veteran relationships were associated with less excitable dog temperament. Aim 3 results indicated that worse mental health at follow-up was associated with greater use of the specifically trained PTSD service dog task to initiate a social greeting ("make a friend"), whereas better mental health was related to less use of dominance-based training methods, lower perceived emotional/logistical costs of service dog partnership, and closer veteran-dog relationships. More frequent use of the trained service dog task to signal when someone approaches from behind (cover/watch back) was associated with greater anxiety, but less PTSD symptom severity. Overall, veterans spent an average of 82% of their time with service dogs (assessed via Bluetooth proximity between dog collar and veteran smartphone), and most frequently asked their service dogs to perform the trained task for calming their anxiety (calm/comfort anxiety). The present study provides subjective and objective metrics of the heterogeneity among veteran-service dog dyads while also suggesting which of the assessed metrics might be potential mechanisms involved in the intervention.
• Leighton, S. C., Nieforth, L. O., & O'Haire, M. E. (2022).

  Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-synthesis

  . PLOS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0274960
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  Psychiatric assistance dogs for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) currently make up over 19% of assistance dog partnerships globally. We conducted a systematic review of the literature relating to these partnerships, with specific aims to (1) summarize their characteristics, (2) evaluate the quality of existing evidence, and (3) summarize outcomes. A total of 432 records were independently screened (Cohen's kappa = 0.90). Of these, 41 articles (29 peer-reviewed publications and 12 unpublished dissertations) met inclusion criteria. Data extraction was conducted to address the research aims, including a meta-analysis (quantitative outcomes) and meta-synthesis (qualitative outcomes). All peer-reviewed publications on the topic of psychiatric assistance dogs for veterans with PTSD were published within the last five years. The majority of included articles were quantitative (53%), 41% were qualitative, and 6% employed mixed methods. Mean methodological rigor scores were 80% for peer reviewed articles and 71% for dissertations, where higher scores represent more rigorous methodology. Quantitative articles reported significant improvements in the domains of PTSD severity, mental health, and social health. Impacts on physical health and global quality of life appear inconclusive. Meta-analysis (9 articles) revealed that partnership with an assistance dog had a clinically meaningful, significant, and large effect on PTSD severity scores (g = -1.129; p
• Leighton, S. C., Nieforth, L. O., & O'Haire, M. E. (2022). Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-synthesis. PloS one, 17(9), e0274960.
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  Psychiatric assistance dogs for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) currently make up over 19% of assistance dog partnerships globally. We conducted a systematic review of the literature relating to these partnerships, with specific aims to (1) summarize their characteristics, (2) evaluate the quality of existing evidence, and (3) summarize outcomes. A total of 432 records were independently screened (Cohen's kappa = 0.90). Of these, 41 articles (29 peer-reviewed publications and 12 unpublished dissertations) met inclusion criteria. Data extraction was conducted to address the research aims, including a meta-analysis (quantitative outcomes) and meta-synthesis (qualitative outcomes). All peer-reviewed publications on the topic of psychiatric assistance dogs for veterans with PTSD were published within the last five years. The majority of included articles were quantitative (53%), 41% were qualitative, and 6% employed mixed methods. Mean methodological rigor scores were 80% for peer reviewed articles and 71% for dissertations, where higher scores represent more rigorous methodology. Quantitative articles reported significant improvements in the domains of PTSD severity, mental health, and social health. Impacts on physical health and global quality of life appear inconclusive. Meta-analysis (9 articles) revealed that partnership with an assistance dog had a clinically meaningful, significant, and large effect on PTSD severity scores (g = -1.129; p
• Merkouri, A., Graham, T. M., O'Haire, M. E., Purewal, R., & Westgarth, C. (2022). Dogs and the Good Life: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Association Between the Dog-Owner Relationship and Owner Mental Wellbeing. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 903647.
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  Dog ownership is believed to benefit owner wellbeing but, contrary to popular belief, there is limited evidence to suggest that simply owning a dog is associated with improved mental health. This mixed-methods study investigates whether dog owners with stronger relationships with their dogs experience better mental health. Participants ( = 1,693, adult United Kingdom dog owners) completed an online survey. Owners' health was measured using the validated PROMIS questions regarding depression, anxiety, emotional support, and companionship. The dog-owner relationship was measured using the validated MDORS scale, which has three subscales: interaction, emotional closeness, and perceived costs. Univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for confounding factors. Additionally, positive and negative impacts of dog ownership on mental wellbeing were coded from open questions using thematic analysis. A stronger dog-owner relationship was associated with greater feelings of emotional support and companionship but poorer mental health in terms of anxiety or depression. However, the perceived costs (burden) subscale was consistently associated with better mental health outcomes. Direction of causality cannot be inferred as people with poor mental health may acquire dogs to help relieve symptoms, which qualitative analysis supported. Key themes included positive impacts on owner wellbeing and happiness through providing purpose, companionship and self-acceptance, pleasure and distraction, as well as lessening emotional pain and suffering and reducing risk behaviors. However, negative impacts of a strong relationship include anticipatory grief over loss of the dog, and concerns regarding the burden of responsibility and ability to meet dog's needs. Perceived ability to adequately meet dog's needs promoted personal growth and positive relationships with others, whereas perceived inability led to feelings of guilt, or anger/frustration, and reduced autonomy and sense of environmental mastery. Dog ownership contributes to both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing in multiple ways, including supporting owners through periods of poor mental health and providing purpose. However, the burden of responsibility and owner and dog characteristics can create challenges, and owners may benefit from support in caring for their dogs and reducing problematic behaviors.
• Nieforth, L. O., Abdul Wahab, A. H., Sabbaghi, A., MacDermid Wadsworth, S., Foti, D., & O'Haire, M. E. (2022). Quantifying the emotional experiences of partners of veterans with PTSD service dogs using ecological momentary assessment. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 48, 101590.
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  The objective of this study was to investigate the day-to-day experiences of positive and negative emotions among partners of veterans assigned service dogs for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As part of a larger clinical trial, a total of N = 87 partners of post-9/11 veterans with PTSD were recruited from a nonprofit service dog provider and participated in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol. The sample included partners of veterans who received a PTSD service dog after baseline (n = 48, treatment group) and partners of veterans on the waitlist for a service dog (n = 39, control group). Data were collected twice daily for two weeks at baseline and again at follow-up three months later, for approximately 56 assessments per participant (28 at baseline, 28 at follow up). Participants completed an average of 84% of questionnaires at baseline (n = 23.6) and 86% (n = 24.1) at follow-up. A total of 3780 EMA questionnaires were collected among partners for this analysis. Data were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model. Three months following baseline, partners of veterans with service dogs reported statistically significant higher levels of positive emotions than the control partners (p = .01, d = 0.39) with small-to-medium effect sizes for each individual positive emotion. No statistically significant differences were reported for negative emotions (p = .77, d = 0.21). This study quantitatively identifies higher levels of positive emotion in partners who are cohabitating with a PTSD service dog compared to those partners who remained on the waitlist. Given the influence that positive emotions have on well-being and coping, findings suggest that the influence of service dogs may go beyond veterans to influence their cohabitating partners.
• Nieforth, L. O., Leighton, S. C., Miller, E. A., & O'Haire, M. E. (2022). Survey of international academic centers and institutes focused on human-animal bond: Scope and landscape in 2021. Human-animal interactions, 2022.
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  Routine surveying of academic centers focused on the human-animal bond is critical to understand the trajectory of the field and to create an environment where centers can learn from one another and build collaborations. The purpose of this manuscript was to report the findings of a survey of these human-animal bond centers, to summarize the status of the field, and to identify changes within the field since 2016. Survey questions concentrated on the demographic characteristics, engagement programs, educational opportunities, and research focuses of the centers. Findings suggest that the field continues to grow as one-third of human-animal bond centers are less than 10 years old. The number of centers that participated in this survey increased by 31% compared to the previous survey (O'Haire et al., 2018). Centers have developed a variety of engagement programs, including animal-assisted intervention and companion animal education programs. About half of the centers (48%) offer degree programs and about one quarter of the centers (24%) offer certificate programs. Most centers (95%) focus their research on companion animals with the most studied companion animal being dogs (95%). The most frequent data collection method was surveys (86%). Qualitative analyses, behavior measures, and physiological measures were also common. The most notable changes from the 2016 survey include overall growth of the field (indicated by the establishment of new centers) and a shift in the specialty area of directors, moving from 44% of directors being veterinarians in 2016 survey to 90% having a human-focused specialty in the 2021 survey. Most centers' research focused on animal-assisted interventions which is consistent with the previous survey. As the field of the human-animal bond continues to grow and more centers emerge, ongoing evaluation of offerings is important to track changes, identify needs, and foster success.
• Nieforth, L. O., Miller, E. A., MacDermid Wadsworth, S., & O'Haire, M. E. (2022). Posttraumatic stress disorder service dogs and the wellbeing of veteran families. European journal of psychotraumatology, 13(1), 2062997.
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  Benefits and challenges associated with service dogs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may extend beyond veterans to their families.
• Nieforth, L. O., Rodriguez, K. E., & O'Haire, M. E. (2022). Expectations versus experiences of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) service dogs: An inductive conventional content analysis. Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy, 14(3), 347-356.
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  [Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 14(3) of (see record 2022-33825-001). In this article, the length of time in which service dogs had been paired with Veterans was reported incorrectly in the third paragraph under the "Participants" heading of the "Methods" section whereby the sentence "Participants with a service dog had received their PTSD service dog an average of 51.5 months prior to participating in the study (range = 3-121.7 months, = 33.3)." should have read "Participants with a service dog had received their PTSD service dog an average of 20.9 months prior to participating in the study (range = 1.2-46.23 months, = 13.18)." All versions of this article have been corrected.] The objective of this study was twofold: to describe the benefits and drawbacks of a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) service dog from the perspective of Veterans with service dogs and to compare these reports to the expectations of Veterans who were on a waitlist for a PTSD service dog. A total of 128 U.S. post-9/11 Veterans with PTSD were recruited from a nonprofit service dog provider (K9s for Warriors), including = 69 with a PTSD service dog and = 59 on the waitlist. Participant responses to open-ended survey questions were analyzed with conventional content analysis and classified into 214 codes across six subthemes, creating three larger themes. A subset (20%) of the data was independently coded to establish interrater reliability (Cohen's κ = .804). Frequency data were used to compare theme and subtheme prevalence between groups. Veterans' experiences and expectations were centered on the effects the service dogs had on Veteran mental health, human-dog interaction, and the associated drawbacks. Although the majority of Veterans reported benefits from their service dogs, the findings revealed that Veterans on the waitlist more frequently mentioned benefits than those with a service dog. Study findings suggest that the drawbacks expected from service dogs differ from the drawbacks experienced. Understanding expectations versus experiences provides critical information for mental health professionals who are informing Veterans on individualized interventions for PTSD. This knowledge will enable professionals to temper expectations and educate Veterans on specific benefits and drawbacks so that they have a more rounded view of PTSD service dogs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
• Rodriguez, K. E., Bibbo, J., & O'Haire, M. E. (2022). Perspectives on facility dogs from pediatric hospital personnel: A qualitative content analysis of patient, family, and staff outcomes. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 46, 101534.
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  An increasing number of children's hospitals feature full-time resident facility dogs, which are specially trained to work alongside pediatric healthcare professionals to improve the patient experience. This qualitative study aimed to describe the role that facility dogs play in the lives of patients, families, and hospital staff. A total of N = 73 pediatric healthcare professionals that worked with 46 facility dogs across 17 children's hospitals in the US completed a set of open-ended questions in an online survey. Responses were analyzed via a conventional thematic analysis and organized into themes and sub-themes. Facility dogs were described to benefit pediatric healthcare professionals' daily lives through improving stress and wellbeing, staff relationships, and job-related morale. Negative impacts included increased burdens and responsibilities in the workplace. Facility dogs were also described to benefit patients and families by helping build rapport, providing a comforting presence and positive resource, and normalizing the hospital environment. In conclusion, facility dog programs were found to be a promising complementary intervention to benefit both staff as well as and patients and families. Future research is warranted to examine short-term and long-term implications of facility dog programs for staff, patient, and family wellbeing.
• Jensen, C. L., Bibbo, J., Rodriguez, K. E., & O'Haire, M. E. (2021). The effects of facility dogs on burnout, job-related well-being, and mental health in paediatric hospital professionals. Journal of clinical nursing, 30(9-10), 1429-1441.
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  To examine the effect of working with a facility dog on paediatric healthcare professionals' work-related burnout, job perceptions and mental health.
• Rodriguez, K. E., Anderson, L. M., Ott, C. A., & O'Haire, M. E. (2021). The Effect of a PTSD Service Dog on Military Veterans' Medication Regimens: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study. Anthrozoos, 34(3), 393-406.
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  Recent research suggests that service dogs may have clinically-relevant benefits for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the effects of PTSD service dogs on veterans' medication use has been largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of PTSD service dogs on medication use among a population of military veterans with PTSD. In a cross-sectional design, United States post-9/11 military veterans with PTSD were recruited from a single service dog provider including veterans living with a PTSD service dog ( = 52) and veterans on the waitlist ( = 44). Both populations of veterans received treatment as usual. Participants completed an online survey of self-reported medication regimens and medication changes. Regression models quantified the effect of having a service dog on physical health, mental health, pain, and sleep medications while controlling for confounding variables (age, sex, relationship status, traumatic brain injuries, and physical health). Results indicated that there were no significant effects of having a service dog on overall self-reported medication use nor any specific medication category ('s > 0.06). However, veterans with a service dog were more likely than those on the waitlist to report that their doctor had decreased dosage or removed medications since getting their service dog. The results of this preliminary cross-sectional research should be interpreted with caution, as future within-subject and pharmacy-verified research is necessary to understand the causality of these findings.
• Rodriguez, K. E., Greer, J., Yatcilla, J. K., Beck, A. M., & O'Haire, M. E. (2021). Correction: The effects of assistance dogs on psychosocial health and wellbeing: A systematic literature review. PloS one, 16(8), e0256071.
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  [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243302.].
• Jensen, C. L., Rodriguez, K. E., & O'Haire, M. E. (2020). Service Dogs for Veterans and Military Members With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Replication With the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5. Journal of traumatic stress.
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  Psychiatric service dogs are an emerging complementary intervention for veterans and military members with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recent cross-sectional studies have documented significant, clinically relevant effects regarding service dogs and PTSD symptom severity. However, these studies were conducted using the PTSD Checklist (PCL) for the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The present study aimed to replicate and advance these findings using the latest version of the PCL for the fifth edition of the DSM (PCL-5). Participants included 186 military members and veterans who had received a PTSD service dog (n = 112) or who were on the waitlist to receive one in the future (n = 74). A cross-sectional design was used to investigate the association between having a service dog and PCL-5 total and symptom cluster scores. After controlling for demographic variables, there was a significant association between having a service dog and lower PTSD symptom severity both in total, B = -14.52, p < .001, d = -0.96, and with regard to each symptom cluster, ps < .001, ds = -0.78 to -0.94. The results replicated existing findings using the largest sample size to date and the most recent version of the PCL. These findings provide additional preliminary evidence for the efficacy of service dogs as a complementary intervention for military members and veterans with PTSD and add to a growing body of foundational research serving to rationalize investment in the further clinical evaluation of this emerging practice.
• LaFollette, M. R., Cloutier, S., Brady, C. M., O'Haire, M. E., & Gaskill, B. N. (2020). Changing Human Behavior to Improve Animal Welfare: A Longitudinal Investigation of Training Laboratory Animal Personnel about Heterospecific Play or "Rat Tickling". Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 10(8).
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  Despite evidence for rat tickling's animal welfare benefits, the technique is rarely implemented in part because of a lack of training. This study's purpose was to determine the efficacy of online-only or online + hands-on training programs on key outcomes for rat tickling in comparison to a waitlist control condition. After completing a baseline survey, laboratory animal personnel currently working with rats in the United States were semi-randomized to receive online-only training ( = 30), online + hands-on training ( = 34), or waitlist control ( = 32). Participants received further surveys directly after training and 2 months later. Data were analyzed using general linear mixed models. At the 2-month follow-up compared to baseline, both training groups reported increased implementation, self-efficacy, knowledge, and familiarity of rat tickling while only the online + hands-on training participants reported increased control beliefs (while the waitlist group stayed the same). At the 2-month follow-up compared to the waitlist, hands-on training participants reported increased self-efficacy and familiarity with rat tickling. Overall, findings show that both online-only and online + hands-on training can improve key outcomes for rat tickling. Although online + hands-on training is slightly more effective, the interactive online-only training has the potential to improve widescale implementation of a welfare-enhancing technique.
• LaFollette, M. R., Riley, M. C., Cloutier, S., Brady, C. M., O'Haire, M. E., & Gaskill, B. N. (2020). Laboratory Animal Welfare Meets Human Welfare: A Cross-Sectional Study of Professional Quality of Life, Including Compassion Fatigue in Laboratory Animal Personnel. Frontiers in veterinary science, 7, 114.
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  Laboratory animal personnel may experience significant stress from working with animals in scientific research. Workplace stress can be assessed by evaluating professional quality of life, which is comprised of compassion fatigue (i.e., burnout and secondary traumatic stress) and compassion satisfaction. This research aimed to explore the associations between risk factors and professional quality of life in laboratory animal personnel. In a cross-sectional, convenience sample design, laboratory animal personnel were recruited from widespread online promotion. A total of 801 personnel in the United States or Canada completed an online survey regarding professional quality of life, social support, euthanasia, enrichment, stress/pain levels, and human-animal interactions. Participants worked in a wide range of settings (e.g., industry, academia), research types (e.g., basic, applied, regulatory), species (e.g., non-human primates, mice), and roles (e.g., animal caretaker, veterinarian). Data were analyzed using general linear models. Personnel who reported higher compassion fatigue also reported lower social support, higher animal stress/pain, higher desire to implement more enrichment, and less control over performing euthanasia ('s < 0.05). Higher burnout was associated with less diverse/frequent enrichment, using physical euthanasia methods, and longer working hours. Higher secondary traumatic stress was associated with more relationship-promoting human-animal interactions (e.g., naming animals) and working as a trainers ('s < 0.05). Higher compassion satisfaction was associated with higher social support, less animal stress/pain, and more human-animal interactions ('s < 0.05). Surprisingly, neither personnel's primary animal type (e.g., non-human primates, mice) nor frequency of euthanasia (e.g., daily, monthly) were associated with professional quality of life ('s > 0.05). Our findings show that the professional quality of life of laboratory animal personnel is associated with several factors. Personnel reporting poorer professional quality of life also reported less social support, higher animal stress/pain, less enrichment diversity/frequency and wished they could provide more enrichment, using physical euthanasia, and less control over performing euthanasia. Poorer professional quality of life was also seen in personnel working as trainers, at universities, and longer hours. This study contributes important empirical data that may provide guidance for developing interventions (e.g., improved social support, decreased animal stress, increased animal enrichment diversity/frequency, greater control over euthanasia) to improve laboratory animal personnel's professional quality of life.
• McCall, C. E., Rodriguez, K. E., Wadsworth, S. M., Meis, L. A., & O'Haire, M. E. (2020). "A Part of Our Family"? Effects of Psychiatric Service Dogs on Quality of Life and Relationship Functioning in Military-Connected Couples. Military behavioral health, 8(4), 410-423.
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  Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can have corrosive impacts on family relationships and individual functioning. Emerging evidence has shown that psychiatric service dogs may be an effective complementary treatment for military veterans with PTSD, benefiting veterans' mental and social health. However, few studies have examined the effects of psychiatric service dogs on the family members of veterans, specifically their partners. Mixed-methods data from 60 veteran-partner dyads examined individual and relationship functioning among partners of veterans paired with a service dog (service dog group; = 37) and those awaiting placement (waitlist group; = 23). While there were no statistically significant differences across groups, the effect sizes for group differences suggested that partners in the service dog group (relative to those on the waitlist) may experience higher levels of resilience and companionship, and lower levels of anger, social isolation, and work impairment. A topical survey of partner qualitative data within the service dog group indicated that service dogs provided more benefits than challenges. Partners reported improvements in veteran functioning, family relationships, and partners' quality of life. Results, although preliminary, suggest that psychiatric service dogs may provide modest positive experiences for some veteran family systems.
• Nieforth, L. O., & O'Haire, M. E. (2020). The role of pets in managing uncertainty from COVID-19. Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy, 12(S1), S245-S246.
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  In an effort to manage the uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have turned to their social support networks. With limited access to in-person human social networks, many people are turning to pets for social support. Pets may be a complementary social support to supplement virtual human-to-human interaction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
• Rodriguez, K. E., Bibbo, J., & O'Haire, M. E. (2020). The effects of service dogs on psychosocial health and wellbeing for individuals with physical disabilities or chronic conditions. Disability and rehabilitation, 42(10), 1350-1358.
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  To evaluate the effects of service dogs on psychosocial health and indicators of wellbeing among individuals with physical disabilities or chronic conditions. A total of 154 individuals participated in a cross-sectional survey including 97 placed with a mobility or medical service dog and 57 on the waitlist to receive one. Hierarchical regression evaluated the effect of having a service dog on standardized measures of psychosocial health (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory) as well as anger, companionship, and sleep disturbance (Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System). Among those with a service dog, the Monash Dog-Owner Relationship Scale quantified the human-animal bond. Results indicated that compared to those on the waitlist, individuals with a service dog exhibited significantly better psychosocial health including higher social, emotional, and work/school functioning. There was no significant effect of having a service dog on anger, companionship, or sleep disturbance. Among those with a service dog, emotional closeness, dog-owner interaction, and amount of time since the service dog was placed were weak correlates of outcomes. Findings suggest that service dogs may have measurable effects on specific aspects of psychosocial health for individuals with physical disabilities or chronic conditions.Implications for rehabilitationHealth care providers should recognize that in addition to the functional benefits service dogs are trained to provide, they can also provide their handlers with psychosocial benefits from their assistance and companionship.Results indicate that having a service dog was related to better emotional functioning, social functioning, and work/school functioning. Areas with no significant relationship with having a service dog included social companionship, sleep, and anger.Although findings are from a large and representative sample of mobility and medical service dogs, there may be individual differences in how service dogs affect the psychosocial health of their handlers.
• Rodriguez, K. E., Bibbo, J., Verdon, S., & O'Haire, M. E. (2020). Mobility and medical service dogs: a qualitative analysis of expectations and experiences. Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technology, 15(5), 499-509.
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  To qualitatively describe and compare the expectations and experiences of living with a mobility or medical service dog among those with a physical disability or chronic condition. A total of 64 participants living with a service dog and 27 on the waitlist to receive a service dog participated in a cross-sectional open-ended survey. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify themes and sub-themes. A total of 101 codes were summarized into themes of Physical Benefits, Psychosocial Benefits, and Drawbacks to having a service dog. Psychosocial benefits included the human-animal relationship as well as emotional, quality of life, and social benefits. Drawbacks included service dog care, public access and education, lifestyle adjustments, and dog behaviour. While participants on the waitlist were more likely to anticipate physical benefits of having a service dog, those with a service dog largely described psychosocial benefits. Findings also suggest that some drawbacks, such as public discrimination, may be unanticipated by the waitlist. A comparison of expectations and experiences of service dog ownership highlights both the positive and negative aspects of the service dog-owner relationship and identifies potential aspects of having a service dog that may be unanticipated or overestimated by those on the waitlist.Implications for RehabilitationWhen asked about helpful and important aspects of having a service dog, 98% of service dog owners described the psychosocial benefits of their dog's assistance and companionship.The human-animal relationship was the most discussed psychosocial benefit from both current owners as well as those on the waitlist, demonstrating the unique strength of the service dog-owner bond in this population.Those on the waitlist to receive a service dog did not anticipate as many drawbacks as current owners described. In particular, difficulties with public access and education as well as dog behaviour were commonly experienced, but not expected, drawbacks to service dog ownership.Findings identify aspects of having a service dog that may be unanticipated or overestimated by those on the waitlist, providing rehabilitation professionals with a basis for preparing those who may be considering incorporating a service dog into their lives.
• Rodriguez, K. E., Greer, J., Yatcilla, J. K., Beck, A. M., & O'Haire, M. E. (2020). The effects of assistance dogs on psychosocial health and wellbeing: A systematic literature review. PloS one, 15(12), e0243302.
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  Beyond the functional tasks that assistance dogs are trained for, there is growing literature describing their benefits on the psychosocial health and wellbeing of their handlers. However, this research is not only widely disparate but, despite its growth, has not been reviewed since 2012. Our objective was to identify, summarize, and methodologically evaluate studies quantifying the psychosocial effects of assistance dogs for individuals with physical disabilities. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted across seven electronic databases. Records were independently screened by two authors. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they assessed outcomes from guide, hearing, medical, or mobility service dogs, if they collected original data on handlers' psychosocial functioning, and if the outcome was measured quantitatively with a validated, standardized measure. Studies on psychiatric service dogs, emotional support dogs, and pet dogs were excluded. Of 1,830 records screened, 24 articles were identified (12 publications, 12 theses) containing 27 studies (15 cross-sectional, 12 longitudinal). Studies assessed the effects of mobility (18), hearing (7), guide (4), and medical (2) assistance dog partnerships with an average sample size of N = 83. An analysis of 147 statistical comparisons across the domains of psychological health, quality of life, social health, and vitality found that 68% of comparisons were null, 30% were positive in the hypothesized direction, and 2% were negative. Positive outcomes included significant effects of having an assistance dog on psychological wellbeing, emotional functioning, self-esteem, and vitality. However, it is of note that several methodological weaknesses of the studies make it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions, including inadequate reporting and a failure to account for moderating or confounding variables. Future research will benefit from stronger methodological rigor and reporting to account for heterogeneity in both humans and assistance dogs as well as continued high-quality replication.
• Rodriguez, K. E., LaFollette, M. R., Hediger, K., Ogata, N., & O'Haire, M. E. (2020). Defining the PTSD Service Dog Intervention: Perceived Importance, Usage, and Symptom Specificity of Psychiatric Service Dogs for Military Veterans. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 1638.
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  Research suggests that psychiatric service dogs may be an effective complementary treatment option for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although this practice continues to increase in popularity and research has reached the rigor of clinical trials, the components of the PTSD service dog intervention remain largely undefined. This research aimed to (1) quantify the importance, usage, and PTSD symptom specificity of service dog trained and untrained behaviors, (2) explore how PTSD severity, time since receiving the service dog, and the veteran-dog relationship relate to outcomes, and (3) compare expectations of veterans on the waitlist to experiences of veterans with service dogs. In a cross-sectional design, 217 post-9/11 military veterans with PTSD were recruited from a national service dog provider, including = 134 with a service dog and = 83 on the waitlist. Results showed that the service dog's trained tasks of calming and interrupting anxiety were perceived as the most important for veterans' PTSD, the most frequently used in a typical day, and as helping the most PTSD symptoms. Trained tasks were most helpful to the PTSD symptoms of hypervigilance and intrusion, and least helpful toward the symptoms of amnesia and risk-taking. Although all trained tasks were helpful toward PTSD symptoms, veterans rated the service dog's untrained behaviors on average as more important for their PTSD. After controlling for covariates, there was no relationship between a veteran's PTSD severity and perceived importance or frequency of task use. However, veterans who reported feeling closer to their service dogs reported using trained tasks more often, and veterans who had their service dogs for longer reported using trained tasks less often. Finally, veterans on the waitlist reported higher expectations regarding task use and importance than described by veterans with a service dog. In conclusion, findings describe the core components of the PTSD service dog intervention by quantifying the use and value of trained and untrained dog behaviors. Overall, this study helps explain the PTSD service dog's clinically relevant value while contributing to the scientific understanding of this emerging practice.
• Valiyamattam, G. J., Katti, H., Chaganti, V. K., O'Haire, M. E., & Sachdeva, V. (2020). Do Animals Engage Greater Social Attention in Autism? An Eye Tracking Analysis. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 727.
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  Visual atypicalities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are a well documented phenomenon, beginning as early as 2-6 months of age and manifesting in a significantly decreased attention to the eyes, direct gaze and socially salient information. Early emerging neurobiological deficits in perceiving social stimuli as rewarding or its active avoidance due to the anxiety it entails have been widely purported as potential reasons for this atypicality. Parallel research evidence also points to the significant benefits of animal presence for reducing social anxiety and enhancing social interaction in children with autism. While atypicality in social attention in ASD has been widely substantiated, whether this atypicality persists equally across species types or is confined to humans has not been a key focus of research insofar.
• Bibbo, J., Rodriguez, K. E., & O'Haire, M. E. (2019). Impact of Service Dogs on Family Members' Psychosocial Functioning. The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 73(3), 7303205120p1-7303205120p11.
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  A growing body of evidence supports service dogs' positive psychosocial impact on people with a chronic condition, but very little is known about the effect of service dogs on the family members with whom they live.
• Germone, M. M., Gabriels, R. L., Guérin, N. A., Pan, Z., Banks, T., & O'Haire, M. E. (2019). Animal-assisted activity improves social behaviors in psychiatrically hospitalized youth with autism. Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 23(7), 1740-1751.
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  There is preliminary research suggesting that animal-assisted activities can improve social interactions of children with autism spectrum disorder. This pilot study sought to investigate the benefits of animal-assisted activities with dogs and psychiatrically hospitalized youth with autism spectrum disorder. Participants were recruited from a specialized inpatient psychiatric hospital unit for youth with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. Utilizing a crossover design, participants served as their own control by engaging in two 10-min conditions: an experimental dog and handler interaction (animal-assisted activities) and a novel toy and handler control (control). Of the 142 youth aged 6--8 years screened for participation, 47 completed both conditions. Participants' behavioral data were captured via video and coded using the Observation of Human-Animal Interaction for Research, a tool specifically developed to capture human behavioral interactions in the presence of animals. Overall, social-communication behaviors significantly improved in the animal-assisted activities experimental condition compared to the control condition ( = 0.0001). Specifically, participants in the animal-assisted activities experimental condition displayed more positive emotional facial expressions ( ⩽ 0.0001), talking ( = 0.0408), use of gestures ( = 0.032), and looking at both adults and peers ( ⩽ 0.0001). In addition, a higher frequency of constant motion ( = 0.003) was observed in the animal-assisted activities experimental condition. Results suggest that animal-assisted activities with a dog may promote social-communication behaviors in psychiatrically hospitalized youth with autism spectrum disorder. Given the fact that social and communication behaviors can facilitate treatment engagement for this population, we recommend future studies examine how such improvements can positively affect the psychiatric treatment of this population.
• LaFollette, M. R., Cloutier, S., Brady, C., Gaskill, B. N., & O'Haire, M. E. (2019). Laboratory animal welfare and human attitudes: A cross-sectional survey on heterospecific play or "rat tickling". PloS one, 14(8), e0220580.
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  Laboratory rat welfare is critically influenced by laboratory animal personnel through their implementation, or lack of implementation, of various enrichment techniques. One such promising technique is heterospecific play, or "rat tickling", which mimics aspects of rat rough-and-tumble play and can contribute to improving welfare, but may be infrequently implemented. The theory of planned behavior can be used to study implementation by measuring intentions and beliefs about rat tickling, including behavioral attitudes (whether it is good or bad), subjective norms (whether there is social/professional pressure to provide it), and control beliefs (whether they feel in control of providing it). Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify current rat tickling prevalence and predictors among laboratory animal personnel in the United States and Canada. Our hypothesis was that rat tickling prevalence would be low and associated with beliefs about the practice, enrichment, and laboratory animals in general.
• LaFollette, M. R., Rodriguez, K. E., Ogata, N., & O'Haire, M. E. (2019). Military Veterans and Their PTSD Service Dogs: Associations Between Training Methods, PTSD Severity, Dog Behavior, and the Human-Animal Bond. Frontiers in veterinary science, 6, 23.
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  Psychiatric service dogs are increasingly being sought out by military veterans as a complementary intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After receiving a service dog, many veterans continue training their service dog at home. Our objective was to explore the associations between training methods, PTSD severity, service dog behavior, and the veteran-service dog bond in a population of military veterans with PTSD. Post-9/11 military veterans with PTSD who had received a psychiatric service dog were recruited from a national service dog provider. A total of 111 veterans ( = 40.1 ± 8.3 years, 80% male) participated in an online survey regarding frequency of training methods, PTSD symptom severity, service dog behavior, and the human-animal bond. Service dogs were predominately Labrador Retriever purebreds or mixes of various breeds (66% male) and mostly obtained from shelters or rescues (58%). Training methods were divided into five categories: positive reinforcement (e.g., physical praise), negative punishment (e.g., ignoring the dog), positive punishment (e.g., verbal correction), dominance (e.g., alpha roll), and bond-based (e.g., co-sleeping). Data were analyzed using general linear models. Veterans self-reported using all five categories of training methods at least once a month. More frequent use of positive punishment was associated with less closeness with their service dog ( = 0.02), more fear ( = 0.003), less eye contact ( < 0.0001), and less trainability ( = 0.04). More frequent use of positive reinforcement was associated with higher closeness to their service dog ( = 0.002) and perceived increased attachment behavior ( = 0.002) and playfulness ( = 0.002). More frequent use of bond-based methods was associated with higher closeness to their service dog ( = 0.02). PTSD severity was not significantly associated with reported dog behavior, temperament, or veteran-service dog closeness. Military veterans with PTSD service dogs reported using many training methods that were associated with different outcomes. In general, the reported use of positive reinforcement or bond-based training methods were associated with reporting more positive outcomes while the reported use of positive punishment was associated with reporting more negative outcomes. Educating service dog organizations and recipients about the impacts of training methods could be beneficial for service dog efficacy and welfare.
• Guérin, N. A., Gabriels, R. L., Germone, M. M., Schuck, S. E., Traynor, A., Thomas, K. M., McKenzie, S. J., Slaughter, V., & O'Haire, M. E. (2018). Reliability and Validity Assessment of the Observation of Human-Animal Interaction for Research (OHAIRE) Behavior Coding Tool. Frontiers in veterinary science, 5, 268.
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  The Observation of Human-Animal Interaction for Research (OHAIRE) is a coding tool developed to capture the behavior of children when interacting with social partners and animals in naturalistic settings. The OHAIRE behavioral categories of focus are emotional displays, social communication behaviors toward adults and peers, behaviors directed toward animals or experimental control objects, and interfering behaviors. To date, the OHAIRE has been used by 14 coders to code 2,732 min of video across four studies with a total of 201 participants ages 5 to 18 years ( = 10.1, = 2.5). Studies involved animal-assisted intervention with three species (i.e., dogs, horses, and guinea pigs) and three populations (i.e., autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and typically developing children) in a school, a therapeutic horseback riding program, a group therapy program, and the hospital setting. We explored the psychometric properties of the OHAIRE through analyses of its inter-rater reliability, intra-rater reliability, convergent and divergent validity, and internal structure, using data from these four human-animal interaction studies. The average inter-rater reliability was excellent (kappa = 0.81), with good reliability in most of the behavioral categories coded. Intra-rater reliability was consistently excellent (0.87 ≤ kappa ≤0.96). Internal structure analyses with Cronbach's alpha supported the exploratory use of subscales to measure social communication behaviors toward peers (α = 0.638) and adults (α = 0.605), and interactions experimental control objects (α = 0.589), and the use of a subscale to measure interactions with animals (α = 0.773). Correlation analyses with multiple questionnaires showed a convergence between positive emotional display and social behaviors as assessed by the OHAIRE and social skills as assessed by the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) and the Social Communication Questionnaires (SCQ). Little concordance was found between the OHAIRE and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) or the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC). The OHAIRE shows promise for wider use in the field of Human-Animal Interaction, with a need for generalization across more settings and ages.
• McCullough, A., Ruehrdanz, A., Jenkins, M. A., Gilmer, M. J., Olson, J., Pawar, A., Holley, L., Sierra-Rivera, S., Linder, D. E., Pichette, D., Grossman, N. J., Hellman, C., Guérin, N. A., & O'Haire, M. E. (2018). Measuring the Effects of an Animal-Assisted Intervention for Pediatric Oncology Patients and Their Parents: A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial [Formula: see text]. Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses, 35(3), 159-177.
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  This multicenter, parallel-group, randomized trial examined the effects of an animal-assisted intervention on the stress, anxiety, and health-related quality of life for children diagnosed with cancer and their parents.
• O'Haire, M. E., & Rodriguez, K. E. (2018). Preliminary efficacy of service dogs as a complementary treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder in military members and veterans. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 86(2), 179-188.
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  Psychiatric service dogs are an emerging complementary treatment for military members and veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet despite anecdotal accounts of their value, there is a lack of empirical research on their efficacy. The current proof-of-concept study assessed the effects of this practice.
• Rodriguez, K. E., Bryce, C. I., Granger, D. A., & O'Haire, M. E. (2018). The effect of a service dog on salivary cortisol awakening response in a military population with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psychoneuroendocrinology, 98, 202-210.
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  Recent studies suggest a therapeutic effect of psychiatric service dogs for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but are limited by self-report biases. The current study assessed the effect of PTSD service dogs on the salivary cortisol awakening response (CAR) and arousal-related functioning in a population of military veterans with PTSD. Participants included 73 post-9/11 military veterans with PTSD including 45 with a service dog and 28 on the waitlist to receive one. Saliva samples were collected on two consecutive weekday mornings at awakening and 30 min later to quantify the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and its area under the curve (AUCi) in addition to standardized survey measures of anxiety, anger, sleep quality and disturbance, and alcohol abuse. There was a significant main effect of having a service dog on both the CAR and the AUCi, with individuals with a service dog exhibiting a higher CAR and AUCi compared to those on the waitlist. Results also revealed that those with a service dog reported significantly lower anxiety, anger, and sleep disturbance as well as less alcohol abuse compared to those on the waitlist, with medium to large effect sizes. Although those with a service dog reported significantly less PTSD symptom severity, CAR was not significantly associated with PTSD symptoms within or across group. In conclusion, results indicate that the placement of a PTSD service dog may have a significant positive influence on both physiological and psychosocial indicators of wellbeing in military veterans with PTSD. Although clinical significance cannot be confirmed, a higher CAR/AUCi among those with a service dog may indicate better health and wellbeing in this population. Future within-subject, longitudinal research will be necessary to determine potential clinical significance and impact of individual differences.
• Guérin, N. A., Rodriguez, K. E., Brodhead, M. T., & O'Haire, M. E. (2017). Assessing Preferences for Animals in Children with Autism: A New Use for Video-Based Preference Assessment. Frontiers in veterinary science, 4, 29.
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  The inclusion of animals into interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a growing practice known as animal-assisted intervention (AAI). The choice of the animal to include in an intervention is often solely up to the interventionist and depends on their experience, subjective judgment, and ease of access to different animals. For individuals with ASD who are non-verbal and unable to indicate preferred stimuli or activities, incorporating preference into interventions has been linked to increases in positive behaviors and enhanced quality of life. We propose that animal choice based on a participant's preference may enhance the experience of AAI and maximize its outcomes. A common technique used to reliably determine preferred interactions and activities in interventions for children with ASD is a stimulus preference assessment. The video-based multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) procedure, in particular, allows for discrimination of complex stimuli that could not feasibly be presented all at once, which is the case when choosing an animal. Based on the well-documented reliability of this technique in the field of applied behavior analysis, we propose that a future direction in AAI is utilizing video-based MSWO to guide animal selection.
• Hall, F. G., Jones, O. G., O'Haire, M. E., & Liceaga, A. M. (2017). Functional properties of tropical banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) protein hydrolysates. Food chemistry, 224, 414-422.
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  Recently, the benefits of entomophagy have been widely discussed. Due to western cultures' reluctance, entomophagy practices are leaning more towards incorporating insects into food products. In this study, whole crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) were hydrolyzed with alcalase at 0.5, 1.5, and 3.0% (w/w) for 30, 60, and 90min. Degree of hydrolysis (DH), amino acid composition, solubility, emulsion and foaming properties were evaluated. Hydrolysis produced peptides with 26-52% DH compared to the control containing no enzyme (5% DH). Protein solubility of hydrolysates improved (p
• LaFollette, M. R., O'Haire, M. E., Cloutier, S., Blankenberger, W. B., & Gaskill, B. N. (2017). Rat tickling: A systematic review of applications, outcomes, and moderators. PloS one, 12(4), e0175320.
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  Rats initially fear humans which can increase stress and impact study results. Additionally, studying positive affective states in rats has proved challenging. Rat tickling is a promising habituation technique that can also be used to model and measure positive affect. However, current studies use a variety of methods to achieve differential results. Our objective was to systematically identify, summarize, and evaluate the research on tickling in rats to provide direction for future investigation. Our specific aims were to summarize current methods used in tickling experiments, outcomes from tickling, and moderating factors.
• Abrahamson, K., Cai, Y., Richards, E., Cline, K., & O'Haire, M. E. (2016). Perceptions of a hospital-based animal assisted intervention program: An exploratory study. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 25, 150-154.
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  Research has shown that there are multiple benefits of animal assisted interventions for patients. However, the impact of interaction with these animals in staff is understudied, particularly in the acute care setting, and is thus a novel contribution to the literature on human-animal interaction. The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to contribute to the body of knowledge surrounding the experiences and perceptions of hospital staff who have participated in a hospital-based animal assisted intervention program. Nine face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted (4 staff nurses, 3 support staff members, and 2 hospital volunteers). Five themes emerged from the respondent interviews: (1) descriptions of the therapy dogs; (2) contacts with the dogs at work; (3) connection with the dogs outside of work; (4) benefits; (5) drawbacks. Our findings reflect abundantly positive hospital staff experiences.
• O'Haire, M. E., Guérin, N. A., & Kirkham, A. C. (2015). Animal-Assisted Intervention for trauma: a systematic literature review. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1121.
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  Animals have a long history of inclusion in psychiatric treatment. There has been a recent growth in the empirical study of this practice, known as Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI). We conducted a systematic review of the empirical literature on AAI for trauma, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ten studies qualified for inclusion, including six peer-reviewed journal articles and four unpublished theses. Participants were predominantly survivors of child abuse, in addition to military veterans. The presentation of AAI was highly variable across the studies. The most common animal species were dogs and horses. The most prevalent outcomes were reduced depression, PTSD symptoms, and anxiety. There was a low level of methodological rigor in most studies, indicating the preliminary nature of this area of investigation. We conclude that AAI may provide promise as a complementary treatment option for trauma, but that further research is essential to establish feasibility, efficacy, and manualizable protocols.
• O'Haire, M. E., McKenzie, S. J., Beck, A. M., & Slaughter, V. (2015). Animals may act as social buffers: Skin conductance arousal in children with autism spectrum disorder in a social context. Developmental psychobiology, 57(5), 584-95.
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  Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience high rates of social stress and anxious arousal. Preliminary evidence suggests that companion animals can act as buffers against the adverse effects of social stress in adults. We measured continuous physiological arousal in children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children in a social context during four conditions: (a) a baseline of reading silently, (b) a scripted classroom activity involving reading aloud, (c) free play with peers and toys, and (d) free play with peers and animals (guinea pigs). Our results confirmed heightened arousal among children with ASD compared to TD children in all conditions, except when the animals were present. Children with ASD showed a 43% decrease in skin conductance responses during free play with peers in the presence of animals, compared to toys. Thus, animals may act as social buffers for children with ASD, conferring unique anxiolytic effects.
• O'Haire, M. E., McKenzie, S. J., McCune, S., & Slaughter, V. (2014). Effects of classroom animal-assisted activities on social functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 20(3), 162-8.
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  The objective of this study was to implement and evaluate a classroom-based Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA) program on social functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• O'Haire, M. E. (2013). Animal-assisted intervention for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic literature review. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 43(7), 1606-22.
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  The inclusion of animals in therapeutic activities, known as animal-assisted intervention (AAI), has been suggested as a treatment practice for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This paper presents a systematic review of the empirical research on AAI for ASD. Fourteen studies published in peer-reviewed journals qualified for inclusion. The presentation of AAI was highly variable across the studies. Reported outcomes included improvements for multiple areas of functioning known to be impaired in ASD, namely increased social interaction and communication as well as decreased problem behaviors, autistic severity, and stress. Yet despite unanimously positive outcomes, most studies were limited by many methodological weaknesses. This review demonstrates that there is preliminary "proof of concept" of AAI for ASD and highlights the need for further, more rigorous research.
• O'Haire, M. E., McKenzie, S. J., Beck, A. M., & Slaughter, V. (2013). Social behaviors increase in children with autism in the presence of animals compared to toys. PloS one, 8(2), e57010.
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  Previous research has demonstrated the capacity of animal presence to stimulate social interaction among humans. The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with an adult and their typically-developing peers in the presence of animals (two guinea pigs) compared to toys.
• O'Haire, M. E., McKenzie, S. J., McCune, S., & Slaughter, V. (2013). Effects of Animal-Assisted Activities with Guinea Pigs in the Primary School Classroom. Anthrozoos, 26(3).
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  This study investigated the effects of a classroom-based animal-assisted activities (AAA) program with guinea pigs on the social functioning of primary school children. We hypothesized that participants in the experimental condition ( = 64), compared with a waitlist control group ( = 64), would demonstrate improvements in social functioning following the program. Parents and teachers used the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) to evaluate the social skills and problem behaviors of 128 participating children (age range = 4.8 to 12.7 years) before and after an 8-week period. Teachers also rated academic competence at both time points. Children who participated in the AAA program demonstrated significantly greater improvements in social functioning than their control group peers, as defined by greater increases in social skills (teacher SSRS) and decreases in problem behaviors (parent and teacher SSRS). There were no significant differences between the groups in academic competence. AAA participants demonstrated significant increases in social skills and decreases in problem behaviors from pre- to post-program on the teacher version of the SSRS. Control group participants did not show significant changes on these measures. These findings suggest that an AAA program with guinea pigs may be a feasible addition to the primary school classroom in order to improve social functioning. Further component analysis will be necessary to determine whether the animal is the active ingredient in AAA programs of this nature.

Presentations

• Miller, E., Schwichtenberg, A., Sabbaghi, A., Zhuang, R., O'Haire, M., Nieforth, L., & Rodriguez, K. (2023). A longitudinal analysis of the cortisol awakening response in a population of military veterans with and without psychiatric service dogs for posttraumatic stress disorder. International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ). Edinburgh, UK.