Pet Therapy

Pet Therapy, now more accurately referred to as Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI), is a treatment methodology that involves the use of animals—particularly dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, and other domestic animals—within therapeutic, educational, or rehabilitative programs. In the field of mental health, and especially in the treatment of depression, Pet Therapy is considered an integrative intervention aimed at improving mood, quality of life, and relational functioning in patients.

AAIs do not replace conventional therapies but serve as relational and emotional facilitators, helping to build therapeutic alliance, reduce isolation, and promote psychological well-being. The animal, thanks to its nonjudgmental presence and ability to elicit immediate emotional responses, becomes a powerful mediator in contexts of psychological distress.

Origins and Scientific Development

Although the therapeutic use of animals has ancient roots, the formalization of the concept of Pet Therapy is attributed to child psychiatrist Boris Levinson, who in the 1960s observed the positive effects of his dog on communication in children with developmental disorders. Since then, numerous studies have investigated the impact of the human-animal bond on psychological well-being, leading to increasingly rigorous and standardized models.

Today, AAIs are regulated by official national guidelines in many countries, including Italy, and are categorized into three operational areas:

• Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA), for recreational and relational support purposes;
• Animal-Assisted Education (AAE), with psychoeducational goals in schools or community settings;
• Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), with specific therapeutic purposes, integrated into a multidisciplinary clinical plan.

In psychiatric settings, AAT is always implemented as part of a shared treatment plan defined by a team of professionals (psychiatrist, psychologist, educator, animal handler) and is aimed at achieving specific and measurable goals.

Hypothesized Mechanisms in Depression

Pet Therapy works through relational, neuroendocrine, and behavioral mechanisms that justify its use in mood disorders.

The main documented effects include:

• reduction of cortisol and increase in oxytocin levels, positively modulating stress and emotional responses;
• stimulation of the dopaminergic system and limbic activation, improving anhedonia and affective tone;
• enhancement of self-efficacy and sense of responsibility through the act of caring for the animal;
• facilitation of social interaction and reduction of behavioral withdrawal, especially in group or residential settings.

The relationship with the animal—immediate, empathic, and free of judgment—can become a relational catalyst for depressed individuals, who are often closed off from communication and emotional reciprocity.

Evidence of Effectiveness

In recent decades, a growing body of scientific literature has supported the effectiveness of Animal-Assisted Interventions in reducing depressive symptoms, both in clinical and subclinical populations.

Randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses have reported significant improvements in areas such as:

• general mood and motivation;
• depression-related anxiety, especially in hospital settings;
• perceived quality of life and subjective well-being;
• social functioning and active participation in elderly or institutionalized patients.

A meta-analysis by Souter and Miller (2007) found that Pet Therapy was associated with a mean reduction in depression scores on standardized clinical scales, particularly when interventions were conducted in structured settings with carefully selected animals. Notably, improvements were seen in emotional access and affective regulation in patients with mild to moderate depressive disorders.

Clinical Indications in Depression

Pet Therapy is indicated across a variety of clinical, educational, and rehabilitative contexts. For depression, it may be especially helpful in:

• Subacute major depression: to reactivate environmental interest and relational responsiveness;
• Depressive disorders in elderly patients: especially in residential settings, where the animal can facilitate contact, stimulate autobiographical memory, and reduce apathy;
• Treatment-resistant depression: as motivational and relational support in integrated therapeutic programs;
• Mood disorders in children and adolescents: where the animal can foster emotional expression and therapeutic bonding;
• Psychiatric and neurocognitive comorbidity: in mixed presentations with anxiety, cognitive decline, or communicative disabilities.

Sessions may be individual or group-based and are conducted in collaboration with a qualified animal handler under clinical supervision by a psychologist or psychiatrist. The duration of the program depends on treatment goals and patient functioning.

Therapeutic Integration and Limitations

Pet Therapy is not a first-line treatment for major depression but a complementary intervention that can enhance the effectiveness of conventional pharmacological or psychotherapeutic approaches.

Its use is particularly indicated when:

• there is resistance to verbal therapeutic relationships;
• severe motivational deficits or marked apathy are present;
• there is a need to strengthen the relational and empathic dimension of treatment;
• a more informal and less medicalized setting is required.

The main limitations involve the availability of trained personnel, the need for suitable and certified animals, and the appropriateness of the setting. Interventions must always be adapted to the patient's clinical condition, with careful attention to safety, hygiene, and behavioral compatibility criteria.

Final Considerations

Pet Therapy is a well-tolerated and effective therapeutic tool, capable of offering emotional and relational benefits even for patients who are difficult to engage through conventional therapeutic means. The relationship with the animal—affective, physical, and non-verbal—can trigger profound transformative processes, fostering progressive openness toward others and oneself.

From a person-centered perspective, Pet Therapy supports the recovery of initiative, connection, and relational trust—dimensions often impaired in the depressive experience.

Bibliography
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