How Service Dogs For Depression Can Help People

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is any dog or mini horse specifically trained to perform tasks to benefit an individual with a physical, intellectual, mental, or psychiatric disability. In the case of psychiatric service dogs, people with a diagnosed mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), may receive specific tasks from their dog meant to ease symptoms and provide accessibility in public. However, these tasks must be physical and not emotional support related.  

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Outside of the tasks service dogs are trained to perform, having a dog as a pet and companion can encourage the body to produce a hormone called oxytocin (the "love" hormone) while limiting the production of a hormone called cortisol (the "stress" hormone). Your mental health may benefit from this process because it promotes opportunities for socializing and exercising. These benefits, including the tasks a service dog can offer, may help individuals cope with and manage the symptoms of depression. 

Understanding service dogs for depression

Understanding how a service dog for depression is used includes learning what a service dog is and how to get one. 

What is a service dog? 

Service dogs are often incorrectly referred to as therapy dogs or emotional support animals (ESAs). A service dog is required to meet certification standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), whereas therapy dogs and emotional support animals are not required to meet the ADA's certification standards and are not granted public access rights under the ADA or Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) 

A service dog trained to aid in one or more tasks is allowed to enter non-pet-friendly businesses, per the ADA. Some dogs wear a service vest for easy identification, but are not required to do so. Service dogs provide support in public and at home for those with a disability. Disabilities can be psychological, developmental, physical, auditory, visual, or intellectual. 

Service dogs vs. emotional support animals

Psychiatric service dogs are not the same as emotional support animals. Psychiatric service dogs perform physical tasks and are trained for public access and obedience. ESAs are not required to be trained in these areas and are not listed in the ADA nor permitted public access. ESAs are only listed under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and can reside in non-pet-friendly housing without a pet fee or penalty. 

What tasks can a psychiatric service dog help with? 

Psychiatric service dogs (such as service dogs for depression) can assist their owner by helping them complete tasks, aka performing a service, that aids their mental health. Emotional support is not a task. A few tasks a depression service dog might help with include: 

• Retrieving medication and reminding an owner to take their medication on time
• Recognizing and alerting their handler to a rising heart rate 
• Interrupting self-harm behaviors 
• Leading a handler away from an overwhelming social situation 
• Offering deep pressure therapy (DPT) 
• Turning on lights
• Fetching clothes for their owner
• Bring you a phone during a crisis 
• Retrieving another individual to support you if you're lost or having a symptom in public
• Circling you to offer you personal space in public 
• Using their body to block crowds in public

Ways to find service dogs for depression and other concerns

There are three options for service dog training: 

• Owner training: Purchasing and training your own service dog, ensuring they meet public access requirements, obedience training them, and choosing training tasks for them to support you with. 
• Professional training: Adopting your own dog and hiring a professional service dog trainer to train the future service dog in tasks, obedience, and public access work.  
• Program training: Buying or receiving a dog from a service dog program that will keep the service dog until it is fully trained with tasks unique to your disability and needs. This option may be the most expensive. 

What rights do service dogs, ESAs, and therapy dogs have? 

If it helps, you can consider how each animal is listed under US laws and what roles they have: 

• Emotional support animals (ESAs): ESAs have fair housing access only. They do not have rights to public access or airline cabin access. 
• Therapy dogs: Therapy dogs have no fair housing, airline, or public access rights. These dogs are pets trained for emotional support to specific communities or people with prior approval on a schedule. 
• Service dogs: Service dogs have full housing and public access rights. To ride in an airline's cabin, an attestation form must be signed, and psychiatric service animals may be subject to approval. 

How can you get an ESA? 

An emotional support animal can provide service and comfort for individuals with depression or anxiety in various settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and schools while providing companionship to ease loneliness. You can train your pet to become an emotional support animal through several programs. However, they may be required to pass an obedience and temperament test. 

Emotional support dogs comfort people with mental illnesses or psychological needs. They are not trained to assist with daily tasks. Any dog can be an ESA. A referral letter from a licensed mental health professional or doctor is required to have your dog live with you in non-pet-friendly housing. ESA online registries are not required and provide fake documents, even if accepted by a landlord. A therapist or doctor's note for a legitimate need is the only legal way to obtain an ESA for housing.  

Ways a service dog may help with depression

Depression symptoms like isolation, fatigue, and lack of interest in activities can make daily living difficult. Having a service dog for depression may provide you with these benefits. 

Regular exercise and enhanced mental health

Studies show that people with dogs are more active daily and walk at least 30 more minutes a day on average than people without a dog. Exercise has mental health benefits for conditions like depression and can increase feelings of positivity and improve mood. Having a psychiatric service dog may provide motivation for you to get outside, as you may take your dog to the places you go. You can also walk your service dog when you're home to get them and yourself further exercise. 

Improved connections with others 

Service dogs often provide valuable companionship. They may help people meet others on walks because they attract attention, and their owners may feel less lonely because they have a service dog by their side. A connection with a service dog might provide emotional benefits, like a human friendship. 

Sense of purpose and motivation

Service dogs may help you tackle the day. They can encourage structure and responsibility because having a pet to care for can help you remember to complete tasks and get out of bed. Having to feed your service animal, take them on walks, and ensure they get enough water might motivate you to do the same for yourself. If you train your service dog to do new tasks for your disability, it might provide you with a fun routine to keep you motivated and inspired. 

Reduced anxiety and stress 

A service dog can increase your happiness and help you feel less alone. This connection may increase your confidence and decrease symptoms of mental health conditions as you find joy in your service pet. Trained service dogs may also be able to warn you when they sense your heart rate rising, which may prompt you to practice a coping skill before an anxiety attack associated with depression. 

Considerations for getting a service dog yourself

If you want to get a service dog or a psychiatric service animal for yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind. 

Different laws to look out for 

Service dogs are covered but described differently in three different laws, including the ADA, FHA, and ACAA. In the ADA, service dogs do not need authorization from a doctor for public access and aren't required to have a registration to visit non-pet-friendly businesses. 

Psychiatric service dogs and ESA regulations under FHA and ACAA

In the FHA, service dogs are paired with ESAs under the "assistance animal" label and must have a doctor's note for non-pet-friendly or university housing. In the ACAA, service dogs are defined under physical disabilities only, and you may be required to sign an attestation form that your service dog is potty trained before going on a flight over eight hours. In addition, the ACAA may not recognize psychiatric service dogs for flights, as the ADA does not cover flights.

Service dogs can take time and money to care for 

Whether getting a service dog, ESA, therapy dog, or pet, dogs require time, attention, and money. It can also take time to adjust to a dog, and you may have to train them to follow your rules. If you live in an apartment, you may have to take your service dog out multiple times a day, which could be challenging if you struggle with motivation due to depression. 

If you plan on training your service dog yourself, you may benefit from using outside resources like training pamphlets, local service dog training classes, or online videos. Some non-profit organizations may also be able to help you learn how to train your service dog. 

Not everyone may benefit from a service dog 

Although anyone with a disability could have a service dog, not everyone needs one. If you can perform the tasks your service dog would perform yourself without difficulty, a service dog may not be providing you a benefit or service. A service dog might be a practical option if you struggle to complete these tasks. Consider contacting a service dog program to ask them questions about the process and whether they think you might benefit. 

Dog breeds and temperaments

There's a reason many dog breeds are considered better for service dog work than others. Although any dog breed can be a service dog, each dog is bred to have a different temperament. Some dog breeds may struggle to learn new skills, stop barking in public, or offer the service needed for an individual. In addition, some dogs are bred for high-intensity exercise and may require a significant amount of time outside. You might benefit more from a docile dog breed like golden retrievers or labs if you're not educated in service dog training. 

Specific concerns: Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more

Depending on your specific mental health concerns and needs, your medical or mental health specialist may provide additional insight into how a service dog can help with your situation. Whether you are coping with challenges related to depression, PTSD, anxiety, or another mental health concern, you can talk to them about what you want to improve when considering your mental health and how a service dog may help you set and achieve your goals.

Other ways to support your mental health

If you are unsure whether you would benefit from a service dog or are concerned about your mental health, you can talk to a mental health professional about your concerns. Although you can try multiple forms of therapy, online therapy may complement the assistance provided by a service dog and has been shown to be as effective as in-person therapy when treating anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.

How online therapy can help

With a platform like BetterHelp, you can be matched with a therapist who has knowledge about and experience working with depression. If you struggle to leave home or are often busy, you may be able to match with a therapist that offers after-hours support. If you have an ESA, pet, or therapy dog and don't have public access rights to bring your dog to in-person therapy, you can bring them to online therapy from home.