Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41963588›Full record

ReviewAging clinical and experimental research2026

Human-animal relationships in older persons: from pet companionship to animal-assisted interventions. A position statement.

Andrea Ungar, I Ambrosino, G Rivasi, L Ceolin, G Bellelli, E Bisconti, M C Catalani, A Cherubini, L Colombo, L Contalbrigo and 7 more

Abstract readReviewConsensus Statement
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Aging clinical and experimental research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Andrea UngarDivision of Geriatric and high-intensity Care Medicine and Geriatric Cardiology, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy. aungar@unifi.it.
I AmbrosinoDivision of Geriatric and high-intensity Care Medicine and Geriatric Cardiology, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
G RivasiDivision of Geriatric and high-intensity Care Medicine and Geriatric Cardiology, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
L CeolinDivision of Geriatric and high-intensity Care Medicine and Geriatric Cardiology, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
G BellelliSchool of Medicine and Surgery, Acute Geriatric Units, University of Milano-Bicocca, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza, Italy.
E BiscontiDog handler, Arezzo, Italy.
M C CatalaniAssociazione Italiana Geriatri e Veterinari (VETeris), Florence, Italy.
A CherubiniGeriatria, Accettazione geriatrica e Centro di ricerca per l'invecchiamento, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy.
L ColomboMSD Animal Health, Milan, Italy.
L ContalbrigoNational Reference Centre for Animal Assisted Interventions, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Padova, Italy.
A M CotroneoDivision of Geriatric Medicine, Azienda Sanitaria Locale "Città di Torino", Torino, Italy.
C MaritiDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
L MechelliDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
M MelosiAssociazione Italiana Geriatri e Veterinari (VETeris), Florence, Italy.
A MorandiDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Science, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
F MutinelliDepartment of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Università Politecnica delle marche, Ancona, Italy.
C MussiAssociazione Italiana Geriatri e Veterinari (VETeris), Florence, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The rising awareness of how animal companionship enhances human well-being has drawn significant attention from people of all ages. Literature data about the impact of human-animal relationships is still limited by the number of studies and the settings explored, especially among older adults. However, encouraging results were provided by some preliminary studies investigating pet ownership and AAI in old age. In this manuscript we provide a detailed overview of the effects of the human-animal relationship in older people. We review data on the benefits of pet ownership in later life and on Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) as a non-pharmacological strategy to support traditional approaches to the most prevalent disabling conditions in the older population, focusing on the technical requirements that guarantee the quality and safety of AAI. Indeed, AAI may allow for the advantages of the positive effects of the human-animal bond in the older population without the challenges of pet companionship ownership, which may not always be suitable for some older adults.

Indexed as

AgingAnimal Assisted TherapyHuman-Animal BondPetsAgedAnimalsDogsHumansQuality of LifeAnimal-Assisted InterventionsChronic careDementiaDog-assisted interventionsHuman-animal relationshipOlder adultsPet companionshipQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID41963588
PMCPMC13194273

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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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.