Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionTasksWho BenefitsGetting a Psychiatric Service DogWhere You Can Take Them
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Tasks
Who Benefits
Getting a Psychiatric Service Dog
Where You Can Take Them
Psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) are animals trained to support people with disabilities due to a mental health illness. These conditions can include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),anxietyand panic disorders,depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, among others.
Psychiatric service dogs are different from emotional support dogs. PSDs perform specific tasks rather than providing overall comfort. Tasks may include providing tactile stimulation, distracting or redirecting your attention, bringing you medication, or getting you help when you need it.
This article explains what psychiatric service dogs do, who may need and qualify for a PSD, how these animals are trained, and the rights of owners and PSDs.
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What Is a Psychiatric Service Dog?
Psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) are a type of service animal. They are trained to perform tasks for their human partners who have mental health disorders or disabilities.
Traditionally, service dogs were those that helped humans with vision, hearing, and/or mobility impairments. Yet newer subsets of service dogs help with such conditions as psychiatric disorders, diabetes, and allergies.They can assist with mental health conditions that includePTSD, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.
What Are Service Animals?Under theAmericans with Disabilities Act(ADA), service animals are “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.”This can include reminding a person with a mental health condition to take their medications, or calming a person with PTSD during an anxiety attack.
What Are Service Animals?
Under theAmericans with Disabilities Act(ADA), service animals are “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.”This can include reminding a person with a mental health condition to take their medications, or calming a person with PTSD during an anxiety attack.
Breeds Used for Psychiatric Service Dogs
There is no specific dog breed required to be trained as a psychiatric service dog. They can be of any breed or size suitable for the tasks they are being trained to perform.
One study that surveyed Australian owners of PSDs found that the breeds varied widely and included both purebred and crossbred dogs. Ages ranged from younger than 1 year to 10 years, and the sex of the dogs was evenly distributed between males and females.
What Is Animal Therapy?
Tasks for a Psychiatric Service Dog
Tasks that psychiatric service dogs can perform vary based on the condition their human partner has. Examples include:
A psychiatric service dog also can help with fetching water or medicine bottles, helping with balance and mobility, and reading signs of anxiety to alert others if you’re in distress.
Who Can Benefit From a Psychiatric Service Dog?
While much research has been done on the benefits of service dogs in general, psychiatric service dogs have not been studied as much. They vary more in breed and size than traditional service dogs, and it is not possible to generalize regarding one type of service dog or another.
Some benefits to humans have been shown in studies of psychiatric service dogs. These include improvement in PTSD symptoms, reduced anxiety, and better sleep. Handlers with major depression and PTSD use less medication the more their dogs do tasks to help them.
Psychiatric service dogs can offer benefits to people diagnosed with:
Psychiatric service dogs also can help with:
PSDs and Invisible IllnessesMental health conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety are invisible illnesses just like diabetes or hearing loss. A seemingly healthy person with a service dog might confuse people at first. However, that does not mean the person does not need the service dog in certain situations. It is important to be respectful and not approach or pet the dog without permission from the handler.
PSDs and Invisible Illnesses
Mental health conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety are invisible illnesses just like diabetes or hearing loss. A seemingly healthy person with a service dog might confuse people at first. However, that does not mean the person does not need the service dog in certain situations. It is important to be respectful and not approach or pet the dog without permission from the handler.
Can a Service Dog Help Your Anxiety?
How to Get a Psychiatric Service Dog
State and local laws are allowed to require that service dogs be licensed and vaccinated. They are also allowed to have voluntary service dog registration programs. However, they may not require service dogs to be certified or registered and cannot ban a service dog due to being a specific breed.
Locating a psychiatric service dog or trainer on the Internet is possible, but it’s important to research providers or supportive training programs.Under the ADA, service dogs are not required to go through a professional training program or be certified through a specific entity. They also do not need to wear a vest or identification that shows they are a service dog.
Service Dogs vs. PSDs vs. ESAs
Psychiatric service dogs are a type of service dog, but they are different from emotional support animals (ESAs). ESAs are not “service animals” under the Department of Justice (DOJ) guidelines, as they do not perform work or specific tasks. Instead, ESAs provide general comfort, emotional support, and companionship.
Psychiatric Service DogsSubset of service animals that have training in performing one or more tasks to help a person’s disabilityProtected under ADA, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Department of Transportation (DOT)Must be dogsExamples of tasks:Remind owner to take medicationCheck room for safety or turn on lights for those with PTSDProvide tactile stimulation through touch, nudge, lick, or pressure for someone with anxietyEmotional Support AnimalsAny animal, as long as it provides emotional support, alleviating one or more symptoms or effects due to a person’s disabilityProtected under HUD, but not ADA or DOTAny domesticated species that is manageable in public (Note that domestic U.S. airlines are not legally required to transport unusual animals, including reptiles, ferrets, rodents, and spiders. Foreign airlines are only required to transport ESA dogs.)
Psychiatric Service DogsSubset of service animals that have training in performing one or more tasks to help a person’s disabilityProtected under ADA, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Department of Transportation (DOT)Must be dogsExamples of tasks:Remind owner to take medicationCheck room for safety or turn on lights for those with PTSDProvide tactile stimulation through touch, nudge, lick, or pressure for someone with anxiety
Subset of service animals that have training in performing one or more tasks to help a person’s disability
Protected under ADA, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Department of Transportation (DOT)
Must be dogs
Examples of tasks:
Emotional Support AnimalsAny animal, as long as it provides emotional support, alleviating one or more symptoms or effects due to a person’s disabilityProtected under HUD, but not ADA or DOTAny domesticated species that is manageable in public (Note that domestic U.S. airlines are not legally required to transport unusual animals, including reptiles, ferrets, rodents, and spiders. Foreign airlines are only required to transport ESA dogs.)
Any animal, as long as it provides emotional support, alleviating one or more symptoms or effects due to a person’s disability
Protected under HUD, but not ADA or DOT
Any domesticated species that is manageable in public (Note that domestic U.S. airlines are not legally required to transport unusual animals, including reptiles, ferrets, rodents, and spiders. Foreign airlines are only required to transport ESA dogs.)
How and When to See a Psychiatrist
Rights and Laws for Psychiatric Service Dogs
Since PSDs are service dogs, they are protected under the ADA. This means they can go anywhere service dogs are allowed, including places that do not otherwise allow other animals or pets.
Under the ADA, service dogs can enter:
Does My Psychiatric Service Dog Need Documents?
The ADA also covers specific housing types, including public and private university housing, government-run public housing, and emergency shelters.
Recent Changes for Air TravelIn late 2020, the DOT Air Carrier Access Act was modified to no longer consider emotional support animals as service animals. However, they also now require psychiatric service dogs to be viewed and treated the same as other service animals. More information can be found on theU.S. DOT page on service animals.
Recent Changes for Air Travel
In late 2020, the DOT Air Carrier Access Act was modified to no longer consider emotional support animals as service animals. However, they also now require psychiatric service dogs to be viewed and treated the same as other service animals. More information can be found on theU.S. DOT page on service animals.
Summary
Mental health illnesses can cause disability and the inability to perform some daily tasks, just like physical illnesses. For some people, a psychiatric service dog may provide additional support for their daily life outside of other treatments and medications.
If you are wondering how a PSD may help you, speak with your healthcare provider or mental health professional. They can provide you with resources and discuss options with you.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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