Animal-Assisted Intervention: A New Intervention for Mental Health and Well-Being

Abstract

The relationship between humans and the lower animal species have been in existence since time immemorial. Across different cultures, mythology, cave paintings and historical writings abound with depiction of the intimate relationship shared between man and animal. Animals and animal figures have been revered as spirit energy; have served as emblems, as status symbols and more importantly have also served as companions. The contemporary pet industry is growing at a dramatic rate with more and more people opting to be “proud pet parents”. The last few decades has seen a rise in the interest among researchers to understand the impact of animals on the physical, physiological and psychological well-being of people. A new adjunct therapy has been initiated and studied, where trained animals are used as co-therapists to enhance the social and emotional well-being of people. This new approach has been implemented in mental health institutions as well as hospital and clinics, geriatric homes and special schools. The present paper is an overview of the nature of the human-animal bond, research examining the aspects that are benefitted by animal-assisted interventions and enumerates several theoretical aspects explaining the effectiveness of animal-assisted interventions.