WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md.  –   Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is pleased to announce that we’re improving outcomes for patients seeking relief from the debilitating physical and mental effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and look forward to sharing our collaborative findings in a poster presentation at the 2023 Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) taking place August 14-17, 2023 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida.

A Glimpse into the Future

Presentation Title: The Efficacy of a Service Dog Training Program in Improving Psychological Symptoms in Military Health System Beneficiaries with Post-Traumatic Stress or Anxiety
Abstract ID: MHSRS-23-08510
Session Title: Military Transitions - Advances in Early Interventions for Promoting and Strengthening Psychological Readiness of Service Members
Presenter: Shannon Fichter, MS. Clinical Research Coordinator II
Poster Session Date and Time: Tuesday, August 15, Poster Session 2

A Beacon of Change: Shannon Fichter’s Story

Clinical Research Coordinator Shannon Fichter, who plays a pivotal role in the service dog training study, will be available to share her insight, highlighting the partnership’s findings in reducing – if not eliminating – PTSD for a significant percentage of participants in our latest service dog training trial. Fichter’s passion for psychology began as an undergraduate at Cabrini University, before earning her Master of Science in clinical psychology with a concentration in trauma from Chestnut Hill College.

Studies have shown human-animal interaction have a potential role in reducing the stress, fear, anxiety, and depressive symptoms – while promoting calmness and social interaction, which was widely demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasized Fichter. For trauma survivors, healing is an incremental process of replacing negative memories with more immediate positive experiences, and expertly trained service dogs expedite that process.