Graduate students often experience high levels of stress and anxiety due to academic
demands, financial pressures, and time constraints. These stresses can stem from rigorous
coursework, competitive environments, and the pressure to meet academic and personal
expectations. Additionally, many students must manage part-time jobs, clinical rotations,
or other academic obligations while maintaining personal relationships and
responsibilities. The financial strain of student loans, tuition costs, and daily living
often can add to the many plates graduate students handle. Time constraints, particularly
the need to balance multiple responsibilities with limited hours in the day, frequently
result in students prioritizing academics over self-care. As a result, the cumulative
toll of these stressors can lead to the presentation of chronic stress and anxiety, which
research has linked to increased pain sensitivity. This heightened pain sensitivity can
negatively impact overall well-being and academic performance, making it more difficult
for students to concentrate, remain motivated, and succeed in their programs.1
One intervention to combat these effects is human-animal interaction (HAI), which has
been shown to reduce self-reported stress and anxiety scores, enhance mood, and promote
relaxation.2 Additionally, HAI has also been shown to significantly reduce heart rate in
participants.2 Previous research has explored the psychological benefits of HAI, but its
effects on physiological measures such as pain pressure thresholds (PPT) remain unclear.
PPTs are commonly used to estimate pain sensitivity, which is often heightened in
individuals experiencing chronic stress and anxiety due to dysregulation of the body's
stress response systems.1 Examining the relationship between anxiety and pain sensitivity
through PPTs may provide insight into the potential physiological benefits of
interventions such as human-animal interaction (HAI).
PPT refers to the minimum amount of pressure that induces pain in the participant and is
commonly used to assess pain sensitivity.3 Pain sensitivity refers to an individual's
perception of and ability to tolerate an enduring painful stimulus. Although pain is a
subjective measure, it can be influenced by the individual's perception. Research has
shown that if an individual's stress tolerance is low, then they are more likely to
experience elevated intensity of pain.4,5 Furthermore, research shows that if an
individual has experienced an adverse life experience that they are more likely to
experience a heightened sensitivity and impaired regulation of stress and pain
responses.6,7 This stress and anxiety can affect PPT measures, making individuals more
sensitive to perceived pain, thus lowering an individual's PPT. Recent studies using
cortical testing have found that pain sensitivity is also linked to activity and
neurotransmitter levels in brain regions associated with pain processing.7 Elevated
glutamate levels in these cortical areas, for instance, have been correlated with greater
pain perception, further highlighting the connection between the brain's stress response
and physical pain.7 On the other hand, relaxation techniques and positive social
environments, including those with animals, may help increase PPT measurements in
individuals who have stress-related anxiety.6,7 The purpose of this study is to evaluate
the effects of HAI on both pain pressure thresholds and anxiety levels in graduate
students. Specifically, this study aims to determine whether repeated HAI sessions
influence pre- and post-intervention measures of PPT and anxiety.
Materials and Methods Participants The sample for this study will be a sample of
convenience. The research project will be presented in person to graduate students at
Wichita State University and followed up with an email to seek participants. Participants
will be randomly placed into two groups - experimental (HAI) and control (GHE).
Informed Consent Informed consent will be read and signed by all participants prior to
beginning the study. This study has been submitted to the Wichita State University
Institutional Review Board for approval; status is pending as of this writing.
Animal A therapy-dog-in-training, "Ellie", will be provided by the handler for the
duration of the research. Ellie is in the process of being certified through PawPartners.
She has completed the proper health and behavior screenings to ensure her fitness for
human-animal interaction.
Interaction Environments The HAI sessions will be held in a quiet, temperature-controlled
room furnished with comfortable seating. Subjects in the experimental group will be given
60 minutes (15 minutes over 4 weeks) of unstructured interaction with Ellie. The
experimental group was able to interact with Ellie in any way that they choose, including
playing with a toy, playing fetch, or regular petting, if it is safe for both Ellie and
the subject. The control group was given similar accommodation and focused on general
health education to assist with the management of stress and anxiety. The control group
was given handouts and the opportunity to engage in discussions regarding the benefits of
walking, sleep hygiene, ways to recognize stress and anxiety, and different methods to
deal with stress and anxiety.
Data Analysis A paired t-test will be used to analyze the data for statistically
significant differences for both the HAI, within group, and GHE group, within groups. The
variable analyzed by the paired t-test was self-reported anxiety scores done at the
beginning and end of the study by both the experimental group and the control group. The
independent variable was time, and the dependent variable was the anxiety levels measured
with the GAD-7 Scale and AAS, as well as PPTs, BP, HR, and salivary cortisol.
A mixed design ANOVA was used to separately evaluate if there were statistically
significant differences for both the experimental group, within group, and for the
control group, within group. The measure analyzed by the repeated measures ANOVA was pain
pressure threshold (PPT) testing performed once a week for 4 weeks. Data will be recorded
during each testing session. The independent variable was time, split into 4 weeks, and
the dependent variable was pressure values.
Two separate independent t-tests will be used to evaluate if there were statistically
significant differences between the experimental and control groups in graduate students.
The first measure analyzed by an independent t-test was self-reported anxiety scores for
the experimental and control groups at the end of the study. The independent variable for
this test was human animal interaction, and the dependent variable was self-reported
anxiety scores. The second measure analyzed by an independent t-test was final pressure
values at the end of the study for the experiment and the control group. The independent
variable for this test was human animal interaction, and the dependent variable was pain
pressure threshold values.
