The Relief Effect of Pet Therapy on Depression

Abstract

Traditional psychotherapy mostly relies on drug intervention and physical therapy. However, with the transformation of the medical model and the deepening understanding of mental health, treatment methods are moving towards a more diversified and humanized direction. In recent years, animal-assisted therapy has been widely used in the field of emotional disorders and psychological rehabilitation as a therapeutic method. This article systematically reviews the intervention effects and potential influencing mechanisms of pet companionship and animal-assisted therapy in different populations. The focus is on its role in depression intervention, and it analyzes how different populations, through multi-dimensional interactive methods such as tactile stimulation (such as stroking the soft fur of pets), visual observation (such as observing the cute behaviors of animals), and responsible care (such as feeding, grooming pets), can effectively regulate human endocrine systems (such as promoting the secretion of dopamine and serotonin), improve negative cognition, and alleviate depressive mood and physical symptoms. At the same time, the analysis of special groups (women with postpartum depression) is supplemented.