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Q+A: Sask. researcher says service dogs prevent suicides

Veterans have basically said, "my dog saved my life."

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A University of Saskatchewan study has revealed the key roles dogs play in preventing suicide among veterans facing post-traumatic stress disorder.

Alexandria Pavelich, a U of S PhD student, studied four veterans experiencing PTSD, substance use and suicidal ideation for 16 months. Her work is part of a broader study led by U of S sociology professor Colleen Dell.

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Pavelich found dogs provided life-saving support, making the difference for people who are reluctant to pursue other forms of treatment. She will be presenting her research at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, an academic conference that begins on May 12.

Pavelich spoke to Postmedia about her research and what it may mean for addressing the crisis in mental health.

Q: What are you trying to learn with your research?

A: It was really just trying to unpack what’s so special about this relationship veterans have with their service dogs that also reduces the things that put somebody at high risk for suicide.

Veterans specifically have access to firearms. They’re coming from a very socially supported environment in the military, where somebody always has your back. But when they end their service, a lot of these people don’t have spouses and they don’t have families. When they come home, what are the social supports that they have in place?

For them, we’re finding that the dog is the make-or-break difference. Because of this dog, a lot of veterans started to turn around in terms of the substance use and PTSD symptoms they had.

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Q: What sorts of stories did you hear?

A: One gentleman was saying that his day is always going to be better — even if he wanted to kill himself when (he) went to bed — because he has this dog in his life.

He didn’t really have other supports. This dog is his little goofy companion that brings a smile to his face. That was something he never really had before.

One gentleman had plans to kill himself, but when it came time to go through with it, he couldn’t imagine leaving his dog behind because he had developed such a strong bond. Now he’s doing incredibly well.

Q: Why is that?

A: Veterans have basically said, “my dog saved my life.” They’ve been on psychiatric medications. They’ve been using opioids because some of them are dealing with chronic pain. All these things that they tried just didn’t really help until they had the dog.

A lot of these veterans didn’t want to go to therapy. But once they had their dog, they were more comfortable accessing peer-support groups. Some of them did actually end up entering therapy for the trauma that they experienced. But they only felt they were able to do that with the dog, because they felt more confident and safer.

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It’s really the idea that people feel like they matter, whether that’s from other social supports in their lives, or from the human-animal bond. The game changer is people have a sense of belonging. They have the sense that they matter and that there’s more purpose and meaning to their lives. The bond that can exist (with an animal) is a pretty magical thing.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of self-harm or experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact:

Canada Suicide Prevention Service (1-833-456-4566), Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service (306-933-6200), Prince Albert Mobile Crisis Unit (306-764-1011), Regina Mobile Crisis Services (306-525-5333) or the Hope for Wellness Help Line, which provides culturally competent crisis intervention counselling support for Indigenous peoples at (1-855-242-3310)
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