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The psychological well-being of university students is a growing concern, both in the UK and globally. In light of emerging research on the benefits of therapy dogs for student well-being, this study compared the use of therapy dogs to more conventional methods for improving students' well-being. Ninety-four university students were randomly assigned to one of three 30-minute treatment sessions: dog therapy, mindfulness, or the control group (the university's standard treatment -- a session with a student well-being advisor). All participants completed an anxiety and mood scale, both immediately before and after their allocated session. The results found that whilst all three groups showed a significant decrease in anxiety after their treatment, only the dog therapy and mindfulness groups' showed anxiety levels that were at or below normal levels. Both groups also reported post-treatment anxiety levels which were significantly lower than those of the controls. Both groups also showed a significant improvement in mood after treatment, whereas the control group did not. The findings of this study therefore suggest that the use of therapy dogs is as effective as mindfulness in reducing students' anxiety and improving their well-being. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed further below.

This study aimed to investigate how members of the UK public would feel about introducing facility dogs to UK courts as a form of special measure. The results from an online survey showed that participants (n = 270) thought they would be significantly less likely to feel anxious, intimidated, distressed, frightened, and traumatized, and significantly more likely to feel safe if accompanied by a facility dog. Both dog owners and non-dog owners were overwhelmingly supportive of the incorporation of facility dogs into the justice system, and thematic analysis of their qualitative responses revealed four main themes: calming, comforting, testimony improvement, and the dog as a distraction. The only concern participants showed was whether the dogs would influence jurors' perceptions of the witness and, therefore, potentially the defendant. Overall, the study demonstrates overwhelming support for this innovative service in UK courtrooms, although further research on the effect on jurors is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the contribution of dizziness to postconcussion symptoms, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Setting: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) service, Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Stanford Hall. Participants: Two hundred eighty-three UK military personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Airforce, Royal Marines, and British Army. Design: A retrospective analysis of data from the Ministry of Defence medical records database. Main measures: Sixteen-item Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, The Dizziness Handicap Inventory. Results: Injuries from sports or falls were the most common mechanism of mTBI, accounting for 23%, respectively. Chi-square analysis indicated that individuals with dizziness and postconcussion symptoms (PCS) had greater severity of PCS, depression, and anxiety than those with PCS alone. Mediation analysis showed dizziness directly and independently influenced the severity of PCS, despite the indirect effects of mediating depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: Comorbid dizziness and PCS were predictive of poorer mental health compared with PCS alone. In addition, dizziness directly influenced the severity of PCS irrespective of the indirect effects of mental health symptoms. These observations suggest that treating dizziness with vestibular rehabilitation may improve PCS and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]