Major Study Indicates That Therapy Dogs Provide Significant Benefits to
  Families of Children Undergoing Treatment for Cancer
From: Medical Design Technology - 12/26/2017

Following seven years of pioneering research, American Humane, the country's
first national humane organization, revealed the results of its long-awaited
"Canines and Childhood Cancer Study," the first and largest randomized,
controlled clinical trial to rigorously measure the effects of
animal-assisted therapy (AAT) in the field of pediatric oncology. The
results, published today in the Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing,
furnish evidence that regular visits from a therapy dog can provide
significant psychosocial benefits to families of children undergoing
treatment for cancer.

The data indicates positive effects on parents, including improved
communication within families as well as between parents and medical staff,
which can lead to better medical care, and reductions in their levels of
stress, specifically as it relates to their emotional functioning.

Read the entire article at:
https://www.mdtmag.com/news/2017/12/major-study-indicates-therapy-dogs-provide-significant-benefits-families-children-undergoing

Links:
Animal-Assisted Activities
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1043454215614961

Dogs bring 'a little light' into 'nightmare' of childhood cancer
http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/health/cancer-therapy-dog-study/index.html

Therapy-dog visits for kids with cancer: A safe way to induce smiles?
https://www.kpwashingtonresearch.org/news-and-events/recent-news/news-2017/therapy-dog-visits-kids-cancer-safe-way-induce-smiles

Canines and Childhood Cancer Study
https://www.americanhumane.org/publication/canines-and-childhood-cancer-pilot-study-report