AFP/AAC Newsletter #31 - English

Issue #31 • November 2018 Armed Forces Pensioners’ / Annuitants’ Association of Canada follow-up periods of populations with increased exposure to ura- nium (e.g. uranium production and fabrication workers). • Our finding that exposure to uranium is not associated with a large or frequent health effect is in agreement with the conclu- sions of other expert bodies. • There are many veterans suffer- ing from persistent symptoms following deployment or military conflict which, although not linked to specific exposures such as DU, can cause considerable suffering and can be effectively treated. VAC continues to assert that it will continue to take into account all evidence, including scientific research, when handling potential DU cases and that veterans who believe that they have a disability related to their military service are encouraged to apply to VAC for disability benefits. O ngoing research indicates that trained dogs can provide a wide range of supports to individuals with physical or mental disabilities, including post-trau- matic stress disorder (PTSD), panic and anxiety disorders, depression and more. Mental health or psy- chiatric service dogs can detect, prevent and control crises, help im- prove sleep and reduce nightmares, support better concentration, im- proved self-confidence and increase social participation and exercise. Another key benefit of a PTSD ser- vice dog is that they can help their handler more comfortably navigate crowds or public spaces. It is little wonder, therefore, that there is growing interest in the use of service dogs to assist veterans with mental health conditions. As part of the Veterans Affairs Canada Suicide Prevention Strategy Action Plan, a study was undertaken start- ing in 2015 to increase knowledge of the role of service dogs in help- ing veterans with a mental health condition, specifically PTSD. The pilot study focuses on deter- mining how service dogs may assist veterans with PTSD. The study is following two groups of veterans. The first group includes 21 veterans each paired with a service dog and monitored for approximately 18 months. The second group involves interviewing a group of ten veter- ans who have had their service dog between two and four years. The study’s Phase Two Final Results report is due to be released in July 2018. In the interim, the key find- ings from the Phase One Interim Findings report include: • For the 18 veterans paired with a service dog for whom results are available, service dogs have had a positive impact on the veterans’ PTSD and depressive symptoms, quality of life domains, mobility in their neighborhood and sleep, beginning as early as six months after receipt of their service dog. • Longer term results for these 18 veterans and results for the other three remaining veterans who entered the study a later date will be included in the Phase Two Final Results report. • For the separate group of 10 veterans who have been using a service dog for between two and four years, interviews with these veterans provided valued information regarding potential service dog roles and tasks, ad- vantages and obstacles of having a service dog, and recommen- dations for potential service dog programs. • Effective communication be- tween service dog training schools and veterans is key for veterans to obtain and maintain a service dog. • High standards should be used in the dogs’ behavioral tests. A calm and obedient dog is very important. • Interviews with 22 stakeholders identified four roles and tasks of service dogs (detection and intervention when the veteran is anxious, contributing to a feeling of safety, a sense of relaxation and socialization), two major undesirable events that can oc- cur with the service dog (public access and stigmatization), and nine potential positive impacts of service dogs. Several important considerations include the fact that the pilot study does not address the effects of a service dog in comparison to a companion dog, emotional support dog, or even an ordinary pet. The study has also not examined which dog breeds might be more effective as service dogs, nor has it looked at whether and in what ways service dogs may impact and interact with existing evidence-based treatments (medical, psychotherapies, etc.). Once the second phase of the pilot study is completed this sum- mer, VAC has indicated that it will review the findings to determine Pilot study on mental health service dogs for veterans with PTSD See Mental health service dogs on page 4