SynthesisBMC psychiatry2018
The power of support from companion animals for people living with mental health problems: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the evidence.
Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 118 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
118 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Dog ownership and mental health among community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review.International journal of geriatric psychiatry · 2022Pooled it
- Assessing the effectiveness of social network interventions for adults with a diagnosis of mental health problems: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of impact.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2022Pooled it
- The effects of interacting with fish in aquariums on human health and well-being: A systematic review.PloS one · 2019Pooled it
- Trial
- Effects of Positive Event Recording on Rehabilitation Outcomes in Elderly Patients with Coronary Heart Disease and Anxiety.Clinical interventions in aging · 2026Trial
- Outcomes of a controlled trial with visiting therapy dog teams on pain in adults in an emergency department.PloS one · 2022Trial
- Unmet Pet Caregiving Needs are Associated with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among People Living with HIV.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
- Integrated cardiopulmonary rehabilitation nursing workforce development: an integrative literature review.BMC nursing · 2026Article
- Animal-Assisted Therapy in Women With Severe-To-Profound Intellectual Disability: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study in Long-Stay Residential Care Within a Psychiatric Hospital.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID · 2026Article
- Article
- Pet Ownership is Associated with Durable Viral Suppression but Presents Healthcare Access Challenges for People with HIV.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
- Pet-Wildlife Interactions Near Ghana's National Parks: Conservation and Health Risks.EcoHealth · 2026Article
- "She's loved me at all sizes": the role of the human-animal bond in eating disorder experiences and treatment.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- Contact with dogs is associated with improved survival in cancer patients.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- The Impact of Pet Videos on Emotional Face Processing.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2026Article
- Exploring Cat-Human Interaction as a Psychosocial Resource in Autism and ADHD: Risks, Engagement, and Well-Being.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Animal-assisted resilience in space exploration: a human factors approach to astronaut behavioral health.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- A dogs-at-work program in a veterinary college: promoting workplace wellbeing and resilience.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Who is disrupting whom? Examining the nighttime activity patterns of humans and their dogs.PloS one · 2026Article
- Social and biological pathways linking relationships with companion animals to human well-being.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
58 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThere is increasing recognition of the therapeutic function pets can play in relation to mental health. However, there has been no systematic review of the evidence related to the comprehensive role of companion animals and how pets might contribute to the work associated with managing a long-term mental health condition. The aim of this study was to explore the extent, nature and quality of the evidence implicating the role and utility of pet ownership for people living with a mental health condition.
methodsA systematic search for studies exploring the role of companion animals in the management of mental health conditions was undertaken by searching 9 databases and undertaking a scoping review of grey literature from the earliest record until March 2017. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to be published in English and report on primary data related to the relationship between domestic animal ownership and the management of diagnosable mental health conditions. Synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data was undertaken in parallel using a narrative synthesis informed by an illness work theoretical framework.
resultsA total of 17 studies were included in the review. Quantitative evidence relating to the benefits of pet ownership was mixed with included studies demonstrating positive, negative and neutral impacts of pet ownership. Qualitative studies illuminated the intensiveness of connectivity people with companion animals reported, and the multi-faceted ways in which pets contributed to the work associated with managing a mental health condition, particularly in times of crisis. The negative aspects of pet ownership were also highlighted, including the practical and emotional burden of pet ownership and the psychological impact that losing a pet has.
conclusionThis review suggests that pets provide benefits to those with mental health conditions. Further research is required to test the nature and extent of this relationship, incorporating outcomes that cover the range of roles and types of support pets confer in relation to mental health and the means by which these can be incorporated into the mainstay of support for people experiencing a mental health problem.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.