A Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) is a dog individually trained to perform specific tasks that help mitigate a person's psychiatric or mental health disability (e.g., PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD).
Legal Status: Classified as a service dog under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – not an emotional support animal or pet.
Key Requirement: The dog must perform at least one trained, disability-related task (simply providing comfort does not qualify).
Rights (2025): Full public access (stores, restaurants, public transport), housing protections (FHA), and most airline flights (ACAA).
No Letter Needed: Unlike ESAs, no doctor's letter or certification is legally required – only task training and good behavior.
Common Tasks: Interrupting panic attacks, retrieving medication, applying deep pressure therapy, turning on lights during dissociation, blocking crowds, reminding to take meds, etc.
Training: Can be owner-trained or professionally trained; no public registry or vest required.