How do pets offer therapeutic benefits?
- Dr Andrew Matole, BVetMed, MSc
- 9 hours ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 7 minutes ago
Introduction
Pets can be therapeutic by significantly enhancing human health and well-being, such as offering physical, emotional, and psychological benefits to their owners or those they interact with. The therapeutic value of pets is increasingly recognised in fields such as psychology, physical therapy, and social work. Below is an exploration of how pets provide therapeutic benefits:
1. Emotional Support
Reducing Stress
Stressed woman Interacting with pets has been shown to reduce cortisol levels, a stress hormone, while increasing oxytocin, the "bonding hormone" (Beetz et al., 2012). This biochemical response promotes relaxation and reduces stress levels.
Alleviating Loneliness
Pets provide companionship, helping to combat feelings of isolation, particularly for the elderly, individuals living alone, those with limited social networks, or those in high-stress environments (Friedmann & Son, 2009).
Lonely man Stabilising Emotions
Caring for a pet can offer a sense of purpose and routine, which can be especially helpful for individuals with depression or anxiety. The routine and responsibility associated with pet ownership can provide structure, fostering emotional stability (Sable, 1995).
A lady grooming a cat Reducing Stress
Interaction with pets can lower cortisol levels (stress hormones) and increase oxytocin, fostering relaxation.
2. Mental Health Benefits
Combatting Depression
Pets can serve as a source of unconditional love and companionship, and encourage physical activity, which is crucial in mitigating depressive symptoms. Studies show that individuals with pets report fewer symptoms of depression (Banks & Banks, 2002).
Therapy Animals
A child with a therapy animal Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has been widely used to treat mental health conditions. Trained therapy dogs and other animals are often used in mental health settings to provide comfort and emotional support during therapy sessions. For instance, therapy dogs are effective in reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans (Yount et al., 2012).
Reducing Anxiety
An anxious man Petting, stroking or cuddling animals activates sensory pathways that calm the nervous system, reduce anxiety and promote relaxation, lowering heart rates and soothing nerves. (Shiloh et al., 2003).
3. Physical Health Benefits
Encouraging Exercise
Dogs, in particular, require regular walks, which help owners stay active and often increase their physical activity levels. Regular walking improves cardiovascular health and helps maintain a healthy weight (Brown & Rhodes, 2006).
Walking with dogs Lowering Blood Pressure
Studies have shown that interacting with pets lowers systolic and diastolic blood pressure, reduces heart rate and the risk of heart disease, and contributes to cardiovascular health. (Allen et al., 2002).
Measuring blood pressure
Pain Management
Studies suggest that pets can act as distractions from chronic pain, allowing individuals to tolerate physical discomfort better. For instance, hospital therapy animals are often used to improve patient comfort (Marcus et al., 2013).
A girl playing with her dog
4. Social Benefits
Facilitating Connections
Walking a dog or visiting a dog park can increase social interactions and build a sense of community, leading to increased social interaction. For example, dog walking is a conversation starter, helping people build social networks (Wood et al., 2015).
Dog walking Improving Communication
In therapeutic settings, pets can provide a neutral focus, serve as an icebreaker, facilitate people's connection with others, and help individuals open up during group therapy or counselling sessions (Chandler, 2012).
A group of animals interacting with humans in a kennel
5. Therapeutic Applications
Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT)
This guided interaction between individuals and trained animals has been used to help address and improve physical, emotional, and social challenges or skills, reducing sensory overload, and enhancing emotional connections.
Applications include:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Treatment
Therapy dogs help individuals with PTSD by grounding them during episodes of hyperarousal (Yount et al., 2012).
PTSD therapy session Equine Therapy
Working with horses improves emotional regulation and self-awareness, particularly in individuals with autism or trauma (Pendry & Roeter, 2013).
A child with her horse Autism Support
Pets can help autistic children develop or improve social and emotional skills. They serve as comforting companions, reducing sensory overload and fostering communication (Grandgeorge & Hausberger, 2011).
Comforting companionship
6. Support for Specific Populations
Elderly Individuals
Pets have been shown to reduce loneliness, improve mental well-being in older adults, especially in long-term care facilities, and provide a sense of routine. (Bernabei et al., 2013).
An elderly man with his dog Children
For children, pets teach responsibility and empathy, improve mood, enhance emotional development, and provide a source of joy and play (Melson, 2003).
A little boy with his pet rabbits People with Disabilities
Service animals enhance independence and confidence by assisting individuals with daily tasks, such as mobility support and alerting to medical conditions (Esposito et al., 2011).
A woman in a wheelchair with her pet dog
7. Cognitive Benefits
Stimulating Mindfulness
Interacting with pets encourages individuals to focus on the present moment, which can reduce rumination (repetitive thinking) and improve overall well-being (Geist, 2011).
A lady enjoying the countryside with her dogs Improving Routine
The structured care schedule pets require benefits individuals with cognitive or mental health challenges. It fosters responsibility and a sense of accomplishment and helps people with these challenges maintain a consistent routine (Brooks et al., 2018).
A lady having peace of mind with her dog
8. Trauma Recovery
Pets can play a key role in trauma recovery by helping individuals process grief and providing consistent, nonjudgmental emotional support and companionship. For instance, trauma survivors often report that their pets help them feel safe and grounded (Tedeschi et al., 2015). In clinical settings, animals create a sense of comfort and security, which allows trauma survivors engage in therapeutic processes more effectively (Chandler, 2012).
A man recoverying from trauma with his dog
Conclusion
Pets are a source of unconditional love, offering multifaceted therapeutic benefits, enhancing emotional, mental, and physical health. They enhance quality of life, improve mental and physical health, and foster a sense of connection, making them powerful allies in therapeutic contexts. Their capacity to provide companionship, encourage physical activity, and facilitate social connections makes them invaluable in personal and clinical settings. Whether through formal therapeutic interventions like AAT or the simple joy of everyday interactions, pets improve the quality of life for people across various demographics.
References
Allen, K., Blascovich, J., & Mendes, W. B. (2002). Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets. Psychosomatic Medicine, 64(5), 727-735.
Banks, M. R., & Banks, W. A. (2002). The effects of animal-assisted therapy on loneliness in an elderly population in long-term care facilities. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 57(7), M428-M432.
Beetz, A., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Julius, H., & Kotrschal, K. (2012). Psychosocial and psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: The possible role of oxytocin. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 234.
Brown, S. G., & Rhodes, R. E. (2006). Relationships among dog ownership and leisure-time walking in Western Canadian adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 30(2), 131-136.
Chandler, C. K. (2012). Animal assisted therapy in counseling. Routledge.
Geist, T. S. (2011). Conceptual framework for animal assisted therapy. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 28(3), 243-256.
Grandgeorge, M., & Hausberger, M. (2011). Human-animal relationships: From daily life to animal-assisted therapies. Annales Médico-Psychologiques, 169(1), 44-48.
Marcus, D. A., Bernstein, C. D., Constantin, J. M., et al. (2013). Animal-assisted therapy at an outpatient pain management clinic. Pain Medicine, 14(1), 1-6.
Pendry, P., & Roeter, S. (2013). Experimental trial demonstrates positive effects of equine-facilitated learning on child social competence. Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin, 1(1), 1-19.
Sable, P. (1995). Pets, attachment, and well-being across the life cycle. Social Work, 40(3), 334-341.
Tedeschi, P., Fine, A. H., & Helgeson, J. I. (2015). Assistance animals: Their evolving role in psychiatric service applications. In Fine, A. H. (Ed.), Handbook on animal-assisted therapy (4th ed., pp. 421-438). Academic Press.
Wood, L., Martin, K., Christian, H., et al. (2015). The pet connection: Pets as a conduit for social capital? Social Science & Medicine, 61(6), 1159-1173.
Yount, R., Olmert, M., & Lee, M. R. (2012). Service dog training program for treatment of posttraumatic stress in service members. US Army Medical Department Journal, 2, 63-69.
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