VCU establishes center for human-animal interaction – a national first

By Michael Ford
University News Services

RICHMOND, Va. – Is dog really man’s best friend, maybe in more ways than one? A new VCU center will study and focus on the health benefits of interacting with companion animals. While such studies are usually confined to veterinary schools, the VCU Center for Human-Animal Interaction will be housed in the School of Medicine, a national first.

The new center will promote interdisciplinary clinical, research, teaching and service activities related to the human-animal interaction as well as increase public visibility for those efforts.

Sandra Barker, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, who also holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Virginia Tech’s Veterinary College, will direct the center, to be seated in the Department of Psychiatry. Barker has published several studies related to the therapeutic aspects of the human-animal bond, including a study in 1998 that showed anxiety levels for psychiatric patients significantly decreased after spending 30 minutes with a therapy dog.

"This is an emerging field with more evidence coming to light about the health benefits of interacting with companion animals," Barker said. "VCU is seen as one of the leaders because of some of the work we’ve already completed in this area."

Barker’s latest research, with co-researcher Anand Pandurangi, M.D., chair of VCU’s Medical College of Virginia Hospitals’ inpatient psychiatry division, involves studying the effects of a therapy dog on patient dysphoria, an emotional state characterized by anxiety, depression and restlessness, prior to electroconvulsive therapy. Barker has her own certified therapy dog "H.I.," an American Kennel Club champion Lhasa Apso, who interacts with patients on the inpatient psychiatry services.

The center provides a way for the human and veterinary medicine communities to collaborate, including a partnership with the Center for Animal Human Relationships at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. Currently the Department of Psychiatry is providing a pet loss support group in contract with six area veterinary hospitals and Dr. Barker is assisting Virginia Tech in evaluating its pet loss hotline.

In addition to research, services at the Center for Human-Animal Interaction include: pet-loss counseling services to assist owners experiencing distress over the loss of a pet, animal-assisted therapy to help patients meet treatments goals by incorporating interaction with certified therapy animals; and animal-assisted activities or pet visitation to soothe anxious hospital patients facing serious medical treatments.

"The patients tell us they love having the therapy dogs come to visit them, and we have seen some remarkable patient improvement following some of these interactions," Barker said. "Some patients want a dog on the bed with them to cuddle and others get out of bed to play with a dog. We think patients find it is a non-threatening diversion from whatever illness they have or medical testing they have to endure."

The center will draw on faculty expertise from several areas including: family practice medicine, preventive medicine, psychology, addiction psychiatry, business, pharmacy, rehabilitation counseling and gerontology.

Additionally, the center will study the health benefits of interacting with companion animals; teach, train and offer consultation to veterinary and human health-care providers on issues related to the human-animal bond; and seek to increase public awareness of the benefits of the human-animal bond. Further information about the Center for Human-Animal Interaction can be obtained by calling 827-PAWS (7297).