Protective Factors for Veterans and First Responders Mental Health | Fire Team K9
Sleep is an essential part of physical and psychological health.
For veterans and first responders, shift work, irregular schedules, operational demands, and exposure to stressful events can interfere with sleep and recovery.
For people experiencing PTSD, nightmares, hyperarousal, and difficulty settling at night may create additional challenges.
Protecting opportunities for adequate sleep is an important component of overall health and recovery. Persistent sleep difficulties may also require clinical assessment and treatment.
Where Service Dogs Can Participate
Psychiatric service dogs may be individually trained to perform tasks that support people experiencing disability-related nighttime symptoms.
Depending on the person’s needs and the dog’s training, these tasks may include interrupting nightmares, waking a handler during episodes of distress, or providing trained responses that help the handler reorient.
Veterans Affairs Canada’s service dog pilot study followed veterans with PTSD before and after receiving service dogs.
Among the 18 veterans who completed the full study, participants reported fewer nightmares, improved sleep quality, and improvements in several other psychological and social outcomes.
These findings are promising, but the small sample size and study design limit the conclusions that can be drawn.
Service dogs should be understood as potential complements to appropriate clinical care rather than replacements for evidence-based treatment of PTSD or sleep disorders.
Putting the Protective Factor Into Practice
Consider the routines and environmental conditions that support your sleep.
For those working shifts, maintaining consistent recovery opportunities may require additional planning and organizational support.
For individuals experiencing persistent nightmares, insomnia, or significant sleep disruption, assessment by a qualified healthcare professional is important.
A question to consider: What helps you recognize when your body needs recovery, and what gets in the way of adequate rest?
References
Veterans Affairs Canada. Service dog pilot study. https://veterans.gc.ca/en/contact-us/help/faqs/service-dog-pilot-study
Veterans Affairs Canada. Service dog pilot study results. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/news-and-media/infographics/service-dog-pilot-study-results
Leighton, S. C., et al. (2024). Service dogs for veterans and military members with posttraumatic stress disorder. JAMA Network Open, 7(6), e2414686. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14686
