Feasibility of Animal-Assisted Therapy in the Treatment of Depression

Abstract

The objective of this review is to assess the potential inclusion of animal-assisted therapy practices in the treatment of depression. Given the documented rise in the incidence of depression in recent years, there is a recognized significance in exploring innovative approaches to depression treatments. While previous studies and systematic reviews have investigated animal-assisted therapy in general or in relation to topics like anxiety, no specific study detailing the impact of animal-assisted therapy practices on depression treatment was identified. Consequently, this review was undertaken to fill this gap. The review focused on studies conducted between 2011 and 2022, evaluating a total of 6 randomized controlled studies. The findings from these studies suggest that integrating animal-assisted therapy practices into the depression treatment process can yield positive effects. Despite the observed benefits, it is important to note that systematic application of animal-assisted therapy reveals certain deficiencies. Therefore, there is a recognized need for additional studies to address and refine the systematic implementation of animal-assisted therapy in the context of treating depression.