Examination PhobiaNCT07817459
Dogs Offering Guidance: Therapeutic Observation for Reducing Examination Anxiety (DOGTOR).
A study testing Canine Group in people with Examination Phobia, run by La Trobe University at 1 site in Australia.
Trial summary
Physiotherapists work closely with patients to assess, diagnose and treat a variety of conditions. Thus, it is essential that education should assess these key competencies through both written examinations (to measure cognitive understanding) and practical examinations (to measure clinical skills). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Examination Phobia
- What is being tested?
- Canine Group
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 22 participants
- Where
- 1 siteAustralia
- Study dates
- 1 Nov 2025to Nov 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Students enrolled in subject PTY5015 (Preparation for Clinical Practice) in the La Trobe University Physiotherapy Graduate Entry Masters program only.
Who cannot join
- Anyone not enrolled in PTY5015
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Australia1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
La Trobe University
Bundoora, Victoria, 3086
Mary Duffy, MA, 61 3 94791204, mary.duffy@latrobe.edu.au
Arushka D'Souza, PhD
About this study
Official title: Dogs Offering Guidance: Therapeutic Observation for Reducing Examination Anxiety (DOGTOR). A Pilot Feasibility Study
Physiotherapists work closely with patients to assess, diagnose and treat a variety of conditions. Thus, it is essential that education should assess these key competencies through both written examinations (to measure cognitive understanding) and practical examinations (to measure clinical skills). Practical examinations have been found to require more preparation and have been reported to be more anxiety-inducing than other forms of examination. One possible strategy to assist with reducing examination stress for students is canine interaction. In the inpatient hospital setting, animal-assisted therapy has found to be a safe and useful option for managing stress. Within the university setting, canine interaction has been shown to improve mood, affect, well-being and reduce stress. However, most of the previous work in this area did not investigate canine-intervention during exams. This study will utilise a randomised-controlled trial design to measure the impact of canine interaction immediately prior to practical examinations on perceived and physiological stress and determine if canine interaction impacts examination scores.
Read the detailed description
Physiotherapy education should prepare graduates to become physiotherapists who work closely with patients to effectively assess, diagnose and treat a variety of conditions. Thus, it is essential that physiotherapy education should also include evaluation that assesses these key skills and competencies. This could be through both written examinations (to measure cognitive skills) and practical exams, such as Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), where students are required to apply their practical knowledge in a standardised, simulated environment. Practical exams usually include a student, a mock patient, a limited time in which a particular skill should be demonstrated and an assessor that provides a score of the student's performance. They are designed to determine whether a student has achieved a threshold of competence that will ideally ensure effective and safe practice in a real-world environment. Most students and assessors endorse practical examinations as a valuable form of feedback.
Despite their potential benefits, like other forms of examination, practical exams are a source of anxiety and stress for many students. Key sources of such exam stress include fear of failing (particularly in front of peers or assessors and "losing face"), not being able to retrieve knowledge under pressure, running out of time and inability to interpret the exam question. Practical exams require more preparation and have been reported to be more anxiety-inducing than other forms of examination, such as written exams. Examination stress is associated low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and poor sleep quality. While some exam-related stress can heighten exam performance, too much or too little stress can impact examination validity by impairing performance of actual ability. Therefore, in the interest of both student and assessor, it is imperative to reduce examination stress where possible so that student performance is better reflection of their actual skills and or competence.
One possible strategy to assist with reducing examination stress for students is canine interaction. In the inpatient hospital setting, animal-assisted therapy has found to be a safe and useful option for managing stress and has demonstrated greater stress reduction than other stress relieving methods such as reading, biofeedback and mindfulness. Within a university setting, canine interaction has been shown to improve mood, affect, well-being, reduce anxiety and stress. However, most of these studies did not investigate canine-intervention during an examination period, and of those which did, canine-intervention was performed some time before (from 60 minutes to two weeks), which allows time for additional stressors to influence findings. To date, there are no randomised studies that have been conducted specifically in physiotherapy students immediately before an OSCE. Therefore, the aims of this study are to (1) measure the impact of canine interaction immediately prior to a practical examination on perceived and physiological stress and (2) to determine if canine interaction impacts examination scores. Understanding the impact of canine interaction in this setting may provide a novel and relatively low-cost strategy to minimise examination stress immediately before an OSCE and boost grades.
- Conditions
- Examination Phobia
- Being tested
- Canine Group
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Canine GroupBehavioural
In a quiet room with a dog and dog handler, students will be able to freely interact with the dog prior to commencing their examinations. Both groups, intervention or control, participants will have their blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) measured by a member of the research team and complete a short questionnaire (details below). The intervention/control will occur 10 minutes prior to the participant's allocated examination slot. Following their examination, participants will have their BP and HR measured by a member of the research team and be asked to rate their stress on a visual analogue scale again. Participants who received the intervention will be asked to report their interaction types with the dog and invited to participate in a focus group to discuss their experience in the trial.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Canine Group | Experimental | examination. During this time, they will be in a quiet room with the dog and a dog-handler. Participants will be instructed that they can freely interact with the dog (for example, observe, pat, hold, talk with the dog, play with the dog toys) within the room. The dog handler will observe and only interact if required to assist with participant or dog safety. The dog is a former Seeing Eye Dog in training who has been introduced to the students and will be re-familiarised with them prior to the trial by attending classes during this term. Receives: Behavioral: Canine Group |
| Control group | No intervention | Students placed in the control group will have a quiet room to sit in for 10 minutes immediately prior to their examination. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Blood Pressure measurement
All participants will enter a holding room prior to their examination. Within 30 minutes of the intervention or control, participants will have their blood pressure (BP) measured by a member of the research team . The intervention/control will occur 10 minutes prior to the participant's allocated examination slot. Following the intervention/control, the participant will have their BP measured by a member of the research team and be asked to rate their stress on a visual analogue scale. They will then complete their examination which will last 30 minutes. Following their examination, participants will have their BP measure again by a member of the research team.
Measured: 30 minutes prior to practical exam, immediately prior to the practical examination and five minutes after the examination
Completion of Stress Visual Analog Scale (SVAS)
Immediate perceived stress will be measured using the SVAS at Timepoints 1, 2 and 3. This scale ranges from 0 to 9, where 0 is "no stress" and 9 is "most severe imaginable". Visual Analog scales are widely used self-reported measures with acceptable validity and reliability in health outcomes such as pain, anxiety, feelings and mood. This scale has widely been used to measure the effect of canine-intervention in other studies. It will be self-administered via a RED Cap survey
Measured: 30 minutes prior to the practical examination; immediately prior to commencing the examination, 5 minutes after the examination
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)
The PSS-10 is a 10-item scale where participants self-appraise their life stress over the past one month, with options ranging from "never" (zero) to "very often" (four). It has been found to be valid and reliable in students and will be collected prior to the examination. It will be self-administered via a REDCap survey.
Measured: Immediately prior to the examination
Heart Rate
All participants will enter a holding room prior to their examination. Within 30 minutes of the intervention or control, participants will have their heart rate (HR) measured by a member of the research team . The intervention/control will occur 10 minutes prior to the participant's allocated examination slot. Following the intervention/control, the participant will have their HR measured by a member of the research team and be asked to rate their stress on a visual analogue scale. They will then complete their examination which will last 30 minutes. Following their examination, participants will have their HR measured by a member of the research team.
Measured: Time Frame: 30 minutes prior to practical exam, immediately prior to the practical examination and five minutes after the examination
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Sep 2026
- Study start1 Nov 2025
- Primary completionNov 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionNov 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (12)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Examination PhobiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Students in the canine group will have a 10-minute exposure immediately before their examination. During this time, they will be in a quiet room with the dog and a dog-handler. Participants will be instructed that they can freely interact with the dog (for example, observe, pat, hold, talk with the dog, play with the dog toys) within the room. The dog handler will observe and only interact if required to assist with participant or dog safety. The dog is a former Seeing Eye Dog in training who has been introduced to the students and will be re-familiarised with them prior to the trial by attending classes during this term. Students in the control group will have a quiet room to sit in for 10 minutes immediately before their examination. All participants will have their blood pressure and heart rate measured before and after the examination and will be asked to complete a short questionnaire and asked to rate their stress on a visual analouge scale.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator
- Enrolment
- 22 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- La Trobe University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Emily C Bell, PhD, Principal investigator, Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07817459
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HEC25361
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 11 May 2026
- Last updated
- 14 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Publications
Zunhammer M, Eichhammer P, Busch V. Sleep quality during exam stress: the role of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. PLoS One. 2014 Oct 3;9(10):e109490. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109490. eCollection 2014.
PubMed 25279939Zhang N, Walton DM. Why So Stressed? A Descriptive Thematic Analysis of Physical Therapy Students' Descriptions of Causes of Anxiety during Objective Structured Clinical Exams. Physiother Can. 2018 Fall;70(4):356-362. doi: 10.3138/ptc.2016-102.e.
PubMed 30745721Zhang N, Henderson CN. Test anxiety and academic performance in chiropractic students. J Chiropr Educ. 2014 Spring;28(1):2-8. doi: 10.7899/JCE-13-20. Epub 2013 Dec 18.
PubMed 24350946Ward-Griffin E, Klaiber P, Collins HK, Owens RL, Coren S, Chen FS. Petting away pre-exam stress: The effect of therapy dog sessions on student well-being. Stress Health. 2018 Aug;34(3):468-473. doi: 10.1002/smi.2804. Epub 2018 Mar 12.
PubMed 29528189Walker C. The Impact of Therapy Dogs on Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Student Test Anxiety. Nurs Educ Perspect. 2023 Mar-Apr 01;44(2):98-104. doi: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001042. Epub 2022 Aug 31.
PubMed 36731074Peel N, Nguyen K, Tannous C. The Impact of Campus-Based Therapy Dogs on the Mood and Affect of University Students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Mar 8;20(6):4759. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20064759.
PubMed 36981667Thelwell ELR. Paws for Thought: A Controlled Study Investigating the Benefits of Interacting with a House-Trained Dog on University Students Mood and Anxiety. Animals (Basel). 2019 Oct 21;9(10):846. doi: 10.3390/ani9100846.
PubMed 31640244Machova K, Prochazkova R, Vadronova M, Souckova M, Prouzova E. Effect of Dog Presence on Stress Levels in Students under Psychological Strain: A Pilot Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Mar 28;17(7):2286. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17072286.
PubMed 32231132Haleem DJ, Inam QU, Haider S, Perveen T, Haleem MA. Serum leptin and cortisol, related to acutely perceived academic examination stress and performance in female university students. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2015 Dec;40(4):305-12. doi: 10.1007/s10484-015-9301-1.
PubMed 26187200Grajfoner D, Harte E, Potter LM, McGuigan N. The Effect of Dog-Assisted Intervention on Student Well-Being, Mood, and Anxiety. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 May 5;14(5):483. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14050483.
PubMed 28475132Brand HS, Schoonheim-Klein M. Is the OSCE more stressful? Examination anxiety and its consequences in different assessment methods in dental education. Eur J Dent Educ. 2009 Aug;13(3):147-53. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0579.2008.00554.x.
PubMed 19630933Anderson D, Brown S. The effect of animal-assisted therapy on nursing student anxiety: A randomized control study. Nurse Educ Pract. 2021 Mar;52:103042. doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103042. Epub 2021 Mar 27.
PubMed 33839594
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Dogs Offering Guidance: Therapeutic Observation for Reducing Examination Anxiety (DOGTOR). A Pilot Feasibility Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07817459
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HEC25361
- Conditions
- Examination Phobia
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 22 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- La Trobe UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Nov 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Nov 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Nov 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 14 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Physiotherapists work closely with patients to assess, diagnose and treat a variety of conditions. Thus, it is essential that education should assess these key competencies through both written examinations (to measure cognitive understanding) and practical examinations (to measure clinical skills). Practical examinations have been found to require more preparation and have been reported to be more anxiety-inducing than other forms of examination. One possible strategy to assist with reducing examination stress for students is canine interaction. In the inpatient hospital setting, animal-assisted therapy has found to be a safe and useful option for managing stress. Within the university setting, canine interaction has been shown to improve mood, affect, well-being and reduce stress. However, most of the previous work in this area did not investigate canine-intervention during exams. This study will utilise a randomised-controlled trial design to measure the impact of canine interaction immediately prior to practical examinations on perceived and physiological stress and determine if canine interaction impacts examination scores.
Detailed description
Physiotherapy education should prepare graduates to become physiotherapists who work closely with patients to effectively assess, diagnose and treat a variety of conditions. Thus, it is essential that physiotherapy education should also include evaluation that assesses these key skills and competencies. This could be through both written examinations (to measure cognitive skills) and practical exams, such as Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), where students are required to apply their practical knowledge in a standardised, simulated environment. Practical exams usually include a student, a mock patient, a limited time in which a particular skill should be demonstrated and an assessor that provides a score of the student's performance. They are designed to determine whether a student has achieved a threshold of competence that will ideally ensure effective and safe practice in a real-world environment. Most students and assessors endorse practical examinations as a valuable form of feedback.
Despite their potential benefits, like other forms of examination, practical exams are a source of anxiety and stress for many students. Key sources of such exam stress include fear of failing (particularly in front of peers or assessors and "losing face"), not being able to retrieve knowledge under pressure, running out of time and inability to interpret the exam question. Practical exams require more preparation and have been reported to be more anxiety-inducing than other forms of examination, such as written exams. Examination stress is associated low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and poor sleep quality. While some exam-related stress can heighten exam performance, too much or too little stress can impact examination validity by impairing performance of actual ability. Therefore, in the interest of both student and assessor, it is imperative to reduce examination stress where possible so that student performance is better reflection of their actual skills and or competence.
One possible strategy to assist with reducing examination stress for students is canine interaction. In the inpatient hospital setting, animal-assisted therapy has found to be a safe and useful option for managing stress and has demonstrated greater stress reduction than other stress relieving methods such as reading, biofeedback and mindfulness. Within a university setting, canine interaction has been shown to improve mood, affect, well-being, reduce anxiety and stress. However, most of these studies did not investigate canine-intervention during an examination period, and of those which did, canine-intervention was performed some time before (from 60 minutes to two weeks), which allows time for additional stressors to influence findings. To date, there are no randomised studies that have been conducted specifically in physiotherapy students immediately before an OSCE. Therefore, the aims of this study are to (1) measure the impact of canine interaction immediately prior to a practical examination on perceived and physiological stress and (2) to determine if canine interaction impacts examination scores. Understanding the impact of canine interaction in this setting may provide a novel and relatively low-cost strategy to minimise examination stress immediately before an OSCE and boost grades.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Students in the canine group will have a 10-minute exposure immediately before their examination. During this time, they will be in a quiet room with the dog and a dog-handler. Participants will be instructed that they can freely interact with the dog (for example, observe, pat, hold, talk with the dog, play with the dog toys) within the room. The dog handler will observe and only interact if required to assist with participant or dog safety. The dog is a former Seeing Eye Dog in training who has been introduced to the students and will be re-familiarised with them prior to the trial by attending classes during this term. Students in the control group will have a quiet room to sit in for 10 minutes immediately before their examination. All participants will have their blood pressure and heart rate measured before and after the examination and will be asked to complete a short questionnaire and asked to rate their stress on a visual analouge scale.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Canine Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Canine Groupexamination. During this time, they will be in a quiet room with the dog and a dog-handler. Participants will be instructed that they can freely interact with the dog (for example, observe, pat, hold, talk with the dog, play with the dog toys) within the room. The dog handler will observe and only interact if required to assist with participant or dog safety. The dog is a former Seeing Eye Dog in training who has been introduced to the students and will be re-familiarised with them prior to the trial by attending classes during this term. |
| Control group | No intervention | –Students placed in the control group will have a quiet room to sit in for 10 minutes immediately prior to their examination. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Students enrolled in subject PTY5015 (Preparation for Clinical Practice) in the La Trobe University Physiotherapy Graduate Entry Masters program only.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Anyone not enrolled in PTY5015
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Canine GroupIn a quiet room with a dog and dog handler, students will be able to freely interact with the dog prior to commencing their examinations. Both groups, intervention or control, participants will have their blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) measured by a member of the research team and complete a short questionnaire (details below). The intervention/control will occur 10 minutes prior to the participant's allocated examination slot. Following their examination, participants will have their BP and HR measured by a member of the research team and be asked to rate their stress on a visual analogue scale again. Participants who received the intervention will be asked to report their interaction types with the dog and invited to participate in a focus group to discuss their experience in the trial. | Behavioural | Canine Group |
Primary outcome
Blood Pressure measurement
Time frame: 30 minutes prior to practical exam, immediately prior to the practical examination and five minutes after the examination
All participants will enter a holding room prior to their examination. Within 30 minutes of the intervention or control, participants will have their blood pressure (BP) measured by a member of the research team . The intervention/control will occur 10 minutes prior to the participant's allocated examination slot. Following the intervention/control, the participant will have their BP measured by a member of the research team and be asked to rate their stress on a visual analogue scale. They will then complete their examination which will last 30 minutes. Following their examination, participants will have their BP measure again by a member of the research team.
Completion of Stress Visual Analog Scale (SVAS)
Time frame: 30 minutes prior to the practical examination; immediately prior to commencing the examination, 5 minutes after the examination
Immediate perceived stress will be measured using the SVAS at Timepoints 1, 2 and 3. This scale ranges from 0 to 9, where 0 is "no stress" and 9 is "most severe imaginable". Visual Analog scales are widely used self-reported measures with acceptable validity and reliability in health outcomes such as pain, anxiety, feelings and mood. This scale has widely been used to measure the effect of canine-intervention in other studies. It will be self-administered via a RED Cap survey
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)
Time frame: Immediately prior to the examination
The PSS-10 is a 10-item scale where participants self-appraise their life stress over the past one month, with options ranging from "never" (zero) to "very often" (four). It has been found to be valid and reliable in students and will be collected prior to the examination. It will be self-administered via a REDCap survey.
Heart Rate
Time frame: Time Frame: 30 minutes prior to practical exam, immediately prior to the practical examination and five minutes after the examination
All participants will enter a holding room prior to their examination. Within 30 minutes of the intervention or control, participants will have their heart rate (HR) measured by a member of the research team . The intervention/control will occur 10 minutes prior to the participant's allocated examination slot. Following the intervention/control, the participant will have their HR measured by a member of the research team and be asked to rate their stress on a visual analogue scale. They will then complete their examination which will last 30 minutes. Following their examination, participants will have their HR measured by a member of the research team.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Sep 2026.
- Background: PubMed 25279939Zunhammer M, Eichhammer P, Busch V. Sleep quality during exam stress: the role of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. PLoS One. 2014 Oct 3;9(10):e109490. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109490. eCollection 2014.
- Background: PubMed 30745721Zhang N, Walton DM. Why So Stressed? A Descriptive Thematic Analysis of Physical Therapy Students' Descriptions of Causes of Anxiety during Objective Structured Clinical Exams. Physiother Can. 2018 Fall;70(4):356-362. doi: 10.3138/ptc.2016-102.e.
- Background: PubMed 24350946Zhang N, Henderson CN. Test anxiety and academic performance in chiropractic students. J Chiropr Educ. 2014 Spring;28(1):2-8. doi: 10.7899/JCE-13-20. Epub 2013 Dec 18.
- Background: PubMed 29528189Ward-Griffin E, Klaiber P, Collins HK, Owens RL, Coren S, Chen FS. Petting away pre-exam stress: The effect of therapy dog sessions on student well-being. Stress Health. 2018 Aug;34(3):468-473. doi: 10.1002/smi.2804. Epub 2018 Mar 12.
- Background: PubMed 36731074Walker C. The Impact of Therapy Dogs on Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Student Test Anxiety. Nurs Educ Perspect. 2023 Mar-Apr 01;44(2):98-104. doi: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001042. Epub 2022 Aug 31.
- Background: PubMed 36981667Peel N, Nguyen K, Tannous C. The Impact of Campus-Based Therapy Dogs on the Mood and Affect of University Students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Mar 8;20(6):4759. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20064759.
- Background: PubMed 31640244Thelwell ELR. Paws for Thought: A Controlled Study Investigating the Benefits of Interacting with a House-Trained Dog on University Students Mood and Anxiety. Animals (Basel). 2019 Oct 21;9(10):846. doi: 10.3390/ani9100846.
- Background: PubMed 32231132Machova K, Prochazkova R, Vadronova M, Souckova M, Prouzova E. Effect of Dog Presence on Stress Levels in Students under Psychological Strain: A Pilot Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Mar 28;17(7):2286. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17072286.
- Background: PubMed 26187200Haleem DJ, Inam QU, Haider S, Perveen T, Haleem MA. Serum leptin and cortisol, related to acutely perceived academic examination stress and performance in female university students. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2015 Dec;40(4):305-12. doi: 10.1007/s10484-015-9301-1.
- Background: PubMed 28475132Grajfoner D, Harte E, Potter LM, McGuigan N. The Effect of Dog-Assisted Intervention on Student Well-Being, Mood, and Anxiety. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 May 5;14(5):483. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14050483.
- Background: PubMed 19630933Brand HS, Schoonheim-Klein M. Is the OSCE more stressful? Examination anxiety and its consequences in different assessment methods in dental education. Eur J Dent Educ. 2009 Aug;13(3):147-53. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0579.2008.00554.x.
- Background: PubMed 33839594Anderson D, Brown S. The effect of animal-assisted therapy on nursing student anxiety: A randomized control study. Nurse Educ Pract. 2021 Mar;52:103042. doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103042. Epub 2021 Mar 27.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Emily C Bell, PhD principal investigator
Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Canine Group in people with Examination Phobia, run by La Trobe University at 1 site in Australia.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Australia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Mary Duffy, MA (6103094791204, mary.duffy@latrobe.edu.au), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Blood Pressure measurement (time frame: 30 minutes prior to practical exam, immediately prior to the practical examination and five minutes after the examination). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07817459, which also lists 12 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Sep 2026.