Psychiatric service dogs reduce loneliness and improve social functioning in adults with mental health conditions: a qualitative study from South Africa
- 1Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Cape Town, University of Cape Town
- 2Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town
Abstract
Introduction: Loneliness and impaired social functioning are clinically significant features of mental illness. Psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) are individually trained to perform tasks that mitigate the functional impact of psychiatric disability and have been proposed as an intervention for loneliness and impaired social functioning for their handlers living with mental illness. However, the mechanisms through which they may reduce loneliness and improve social functioning are poorly understood and evidence from low-middle income contexts is almost entirely absent.
Methods: This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of PSD handlers in South Africa regarding the impact of their PSD on loneliness, social functioning, and psychosocial well-being across a diverse range of mental illnesses. PSD handlers were recruited through purposive sampling via three South African PSD training organisations. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis following the six-phase framework described by Braun and Clarke.
Results: Reflexive thematic analysis of participants' accounts generated six themes describing the psychosocial impact of PSD partnership. Three themes capture the primary mechanisms through which PSD partnership improved social functioning and reduced loneliness: (1) alleviation of loneliness through non-judgmental companionship; (2) PSDs as social catalysts: from brief encounters to sustained relationships; and (3) gains in independence and expanded community participation. Two additional themes describe internal psychological mechanisms: (4) restoration of purpose, meaning, and structured routine; and (5) caregiving as a mechanism of self-regulation and re-engagement. A sixth theme addresses the social costs and challenges of PSD partnership: (6) access discrimination, public scrutiny, and the burden of visibility.
Discussion: Together, these themes describe a multi-layered set of psychosocial processes through which PSD partnership both expanded participants' social worlds and imposed new burdens upon them. The findings suggest that PSDs may serve as a meaningful adjunctive intervention for loneliness and social isolation in adults with mental illness. Mental health professionals would benefit from greater awareness of PSDs and the psychosocial benefits and challenges associated with their use.
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BibTeX
@article{hoare2026psychiatric,
title = {{Psychiatric service dogs reduce loneliness and improve social functioning in adults with mental health conditions: a qualitative study from South Africa}},
author = {Jacqueline Hoare and Fulufhelo Netshifhefhe},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1958250},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1958250/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Psychiatric service dogs reduce loneliness and improve social functioning in adults with mental health conditions: a qualitative study from South Africa
AU - Jacqueline Hoare
AU - Fulufhelo Netshifhefhe
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1958250
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1958250/full
AB - Introduction: Loneliness and impaired social functioning are clinically significant features of mental illness. Psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) are individually trained to perform tasks that mitigate the functional impact of psychiatric disability and have been proposed as an intervention for loneliness and impaired social functioning for their handlers living with mental illness. However, the mechanisms through which they may reduce loneliness and improve social functioning are poorly understood and evidence from low-middle income contexts is almost entirely absent. Methods: This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of PSD handlers in South Africa regarding the impact of their PSD on loneliness, social functioning, and psychosocial well-being across a diverse range of mental illnesses. PSD handlers were recruited through purposive sampling via three South African PSD training organisations. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis following the six-phase framework described by Braun and Clarke. Results: Reflexive thematic analysis of participants' accounts generated six themes describing the psychosocial impact of PSD partnership. Three themes capture the primary mechanisms through which PSD partnership improved social functioning and reduced loneliness: (1) alleviation of loneliness through non-judgmental companionship; (2) PSDs as social catalysts: from brief encounters to sustained relationships; and (3) gains in independence and expanded community participation. Two additional themes describe internal psychological mechanisms: (4) restoration of purpose, meaning, and structured routine; and (5) caregiving as a mechanism of self-regulation and re-engagement. A sixth theme addresses the social costs and challenges of PSD partnership: (6) access discrimination, public scrutiny, and the burden of visibility. Discussion: Together, these themes describe a multi-layered set of psychosocial processes through which PSD partnership both expanded participants' social worlds and imposed new burdens upon them. The findings suggest that PSDs may serve as a meaningful adjunctive intervention for loneliness and social isolation in adults with mental illness. Mental health professionals would benefit from greater awareness of PSDs and the psychosocial benefits and challenges associated with their use.
SN - 1664-0640
ER -