ReviewFrontiers in psychiatry2026
Companion animals and mental health: a narrative synthesis of how pets deliver therapeutic mechanisms outside formal provision.
Review in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Evidence highlighting the emotional and social support that companion animals provide for people managing mental health problems has increased in recent years. However, the therapeutic mechanisms underpinning these benefits remain poorly understood. This qualitative review aimed to explore these perceived mechanisms in the context of established psychosocial models and therapeutic approaches commonly used in formal mental health provision. Methods: A framework and line of argument synthesis were used to analyse the 24 studies included in the narrative review. Eligible studies were those that presented primary qualitative data exploring relationships with companion animals and the impact of these relationships on owners' mental health and emotional distress. Extracted data were mapped onto established clinical and psychosocial therapeutic approaches, enabling the identification of mechanisms operating across contexts and their sequencing. Results: Key mechanisms identified were emotional co-regulation, safety, and trust. These relational conditions created a foundation which supported the organisation and pacing of daily life and strengthened individuals' sense of agency through the development of routine and responsibility. These processes facilitated identity reconstruction and sense-making, contributing to the perceived therapeutic value of companion animals in managing mental health and emotional distress. Conclusion: The review suggests that the therapeutic value of companion animal support operates through a layered, relational process that differs markedly from those offered by formal interventions. The perceived therapeutic advantage of companion animals arises from their alignment with everyday human needs, needs that formal provision struggles to consistently meet. Pets make visible the limitations of professionalised, episodic care and underscore the importance of continuity, non-judgment, and embodied presence.
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