Do Pets Really Help with Depression?

June 23, 2025

Authored by: Taylor Shaw, B.S.

Edited by: Christina Kayanan, LAADC, LMFT

There is lots of research out there surrounding whether or not pets really help with mental health. Some research suggests that pet owners are typically less lonely than non-owners, but other findings suggest pet owners have higher psychological distress.¹ The benefits of pets always stand out: unconditional love, emotional support, a built-in best friend, a lack of loneliness, and the oxytocin provided by contact with a furry friend. However, studies have also shown that sleeping with a pet in bed leads to worsened sleep, or that the loss of the human-animal bond can lead to increased depressive symptoms.² Below, we’ll check out both perspectives, but if you or a loved one are struggling with depression or symptoms of depression, don’t hesitate to call AMFM Mental Health Treatment to talk with our compassionate care team about your options for improving your quality of life.

Pets Helping with Depression

There are some base-level reasons why having a pet can help with managing symptoms of depression. For example, dog owners who have to walk their dogs are forced to build habits of physical activity, and feeding pets is a regular example of taking care of another being, which seems to offer mental health benefits. While people may perceive companion animals as a source of social support, frequently referring to them as providers of non-judgemental companionship, affect, comfort, and unconditional love, being always available for their owners, one study noted that that does not mean that these effects are the cause of the generally positive effects associated with companion animal ownership.³ Another’s findings indicated that pets may improve psychological functioning and that emotional closeness is an important moderating factor.⁴ In a study of cancer patients with therapy dogs or “companion animals”, they found that the companion animals provide emotional, practical, and social support to individuals diagnosed with advanced cancer that can improve individual psychological wellbeing.⁵ On a biological and neurological basis, there are also studies that found human-animal interactions increase oxytocin levels in the brain. In these studies, the human-animal interactions and oxytocin increases were found to promote social interaction, to reduce stress and anxiety, and to enhance human health.⁶ Specifically, oxytocin is released during “pleasant tactile interactions” like petting, cuddles or snuggles, which seem to play a major role in the decrease of stress levels.⁷ Stable relationships with animals such as pet ownership will be linked to more potent and long lasting effects due to repeated exposure to oxytocin.⁸ The increased levels of oxytocin and decreased cortisol (stress) levels can help combat depression.

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Research against Pets and Depression

However, others disagree with the above findings, and other studies have found that dog and cat owners are associated with doubled odds of having depression.⁹ One of the most clear reasons for the negative impact of pets would be the grief and loss of social support caused by the rupture of the pet-owner bond when a pet dies; the impact on social routines arising from pet behavioural/health problems, and the extra time required to take care of an animal. The loss of the human-animal bond is one that can deprive a person of his or her sense of purpose, and the disruption that comes with behavioral issues has correlated with increased symptoms of anxiety, like raised blood pressure.

Pets and Sleep

Another interesting study noted that co-sleeping with pets was associated with poorer sleep characteristics—specifically, poorer perceived sleep quality and greater insomnia severity.¹⁰ These exploratory analyses indicated that the negative impact of co-sleeping with pets on human sleep was associated with dog ownership but not with cat ownership, that it’s more pronounced when individuals own a greater number of pets, and that sleep is not impacted by bondedness to pets.¹¹ All in all, people love their pets, and in some cases, pets can help with mental health, while in others, that pet attachment may hurt. However, if you or a loved one is currently struggling with depression, AMFM Mental Health Treatment can help: call today.

More about Depression

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or Clinical Depression is a mood disorder that is known for causing feelings of sadness, a loss of interest in pleasurable activities, and a range of other emotional and physical symptoms. Symptoms of depression can affect your daily routine, relationships, and overall quality of life. Mental health treatment, through a combination of psychiatry and therapeutic care, can help you to manage these symptoms over time, increasing the quality of life.

Major Depression can affect individuals of varying ages and other demographics. Causes of depression can vary, including genetics, self-esteem, experiences you’ve had in life, and a chemical imbalance within your brain. Depression therapy can help you in overcoming depression and may include the use of depression medications and holistic therapies.

Psychiatric Treatment for Depression

There are a variety of different antidepressant medications that have been proven as effective treatment (in combination with psychological treatment) for depression. Some types of antidepressants are listed here, but inquire with a licensed medical professional or psychiatrist for detailed information on different treatments. Never take psychiatric medication unless it is prescribed to you, and be sure to consult with medical professionals in case of external risk factors.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) are antidepressant medications that treat different neurotransmitters in order to block the reabsorption of serotonin or norepinephrine, keeping more of the chemicals in the synaptic cleft. Both are effective treatments for depression, but depend upon the individual, and should be approached with medical guidance and professional advice. Click here to learn more about the importance of medication management.

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Types of Therapy for Depression

Depression can affect individuals differently, which often requires individualized treatment. There are a variety of depression treatment options that can be used to address the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of this condition. Some of the most common psychotherapy modalities used in depression counseling sessions at our locations include:

Family or Couples Therapy

Couples and family therapy may be used when a loved one’s depressive symptoms are affecting others. This can increase family members’ understanding of depression and talk about how to support each other. Couples and family therapy sessions can improve communication patterns, focus on problem-solving, address unresolved conflicts, and increase the sense of understanding among one another.

Group Therapy

Group therapy sessions can be used to help provide structured times to help you understand that you are not alone in your struggles, that your peers are also walking through these challenges, while also providing guidance, suggestions and communications from psychologists with specialized backgrounds. These groups can span a variety of backgrounds, including but not limited to art therapy, somatic therapy, and narrative therapy.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that’s focused on restructuring and reprogramming maladaptive and negative thought processes. Psychologists are trained to help you change your cognitive and emotional processes in order to outgrow coping mechanisms that may no longer be serving you.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is most commonly referred to as “talk therapy,” and is designed to help process emotions. Qualified professionals offer psychological therapy to move forward with healthy ways of engaging in interpersonal relationships and alleviating physical and emotional distress.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

EMDR Therapy is a renowned method of reprocessing most often used in trauma therapy. By activating the prefrontal cortex through a series of bilateral stimulation, qualified professionals can lead you through traumatic experiences, helping you to alleviate the distress symptomized by trauma.

Animal Therapy

Many places employ groups for animal therapy to help with depression and trauma. Select AMFM Mental Health locations offer animal therapy on a regular basis.

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Citations

Hardie, S., Mai, D. L., & Howell, T. J. (2023). Social Support and Wellbeing in Cat and Dog Owners, and the Moderating Influence of Pet–Owner Relationship Quality. Anthrozoös, 36(5), 891–907. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2023.2182029

Barcelos,Ana Maria and Kargas,Niko and Maltby,John and Mills,Daniel S., hai.2023.0008, Human-Animal Interactions, doi:10.1079/hai.2023.0008, CABI International, Potential Psychosocial Explanations for the Impact of Pet Ownership on Human Well-Being: Evaluating and Expanding Current Hypotheses, (2023)

McGhee WRG, Dempster M, Graham-Wisener L. The role of companion animals in advanced cancer: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. BMC Palliat Care. 2022 Sep 16;21(1):160. doi: 10.1186/s12904-022-01050-y. PMID: 36114574; PMCID: PMC9479232.

Beetz A, Uvnäs-Moberg K, Julius H, Kotrschal K. Psychosocial and psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: the possible role of oxytocin. Front Psychol. 2012 Jul 9;3:234. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00234. PMID: 22866043; PMCID: PMC3408111.

Mueller, M. K., King, E. K., Callina, K., Dowling-Guyer, S., & McCobb, E. (2021). Demographic and contextual factors as moderators of the relationship between pet ownership and health. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 9(1), 701–723. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2021.1963254

Chin, B.N., Singh, T. & Carothers, A.S. Co-sleeping with pets, stress, and sleep in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults. Sci Rep 14, 5577 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56055-9