Integrating Animal Therapy into Lifestyle Medicine: A Comprehensive Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t7020Abstract
The study sought to explore the potential for integrating animal therapy with the principles of lifestyle medicine. A qualitative research design was employed, focusing on English publications from 2014 to 2024. Recently, animal therapy has emerged as an important intervention in the prevention and treatment of chronic illnesses such as depression, anxiety, mental disorders, hypertension, and diabetes, significantly reducing the physical, psychological, and financial burdens on society. The literature search concentrated on evidence with controversial and debatable themes regarding animal therapy and lifestyle medicine. The study found that animal therapy positively impacts the pillars of lifestyle medicine: physical activity, nonjudgmental social connections, stress, and pain management. Human-animal interaction was shown to modulate hormonal balance by decreasing stress hormone levels and improving the production and circulation of excitatory neurotransmitters. This interaction enhances immune function and activates neurobiological pathways affecting cortisol, dopamine, and beta-endorphin levels, while increasing the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system in humans. For instance, human interaction therapy used among war veterans demonstrated reduced cortisol levels and increased treatment adherence. Animal therapy also motivated physical activity, improved treatment adherence, and enhanced emotional well-being, leading to better health outcomes. The study concludes that integrating animal therapy with various interventions for a healthy lifestyle has the potential to provide significant physical and mental health benefits. Nonetheless, further research is recommended to validate the benefits of combining animal therapy with lifestyle medicine for evidence-based application in clinical practice.
Keywords: Lifestyle Medicine, Animal Therapy, Chronic Illness Management, Non-Pharmacological Interventions, Emotional well-being
References
American College of Lifestyle Medicine. (2024, May 14). Home - American College of Lifestyle Medicine. https://lifestylemedicine.org/
Fallows, E. S. (2023). Lifestyle medicine: a cultural shift in medicine that can drive integration of care. Future Healthcare Journal, 10(3), 226–231. https://doi.org/10.7861/fhj.2023-0094
Zaccardi, F. (2020). Healthy lifestyle and life expectancy in people with multimorbidity in the UK Biobank: A longitudinal cohort study. PLoS Medicine, 17(9), e1003332. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003332
Lane, M. M., Gamage, E., Travica, N., Dissanayaka, T., Ashtree, D. N., Gauci, S., Lotfaliany, M., O’Neil, A., Jacka, F. N., & Marx, W. (2022). Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients, 14(13), 2568. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14132568
Raventos, R. M., Serra-Majem, L., Pintó, X., Basora, J., Muñoz, M. A., Sorlí, J. V., Martínez, J. A., Fitó, M., Gea, A., . . . Martínez-González, M. A. (2018b). Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts. New England Journal of Medicine/the New England Journal of Medicine, 378(25), e34. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1800389
Piercy, K. L., Troiano, R. P., Ballard, R. M., Carlson, S. A., Fulton, J. E., Galuska, D. A., George, S. M., & Olson, R. D. (2018). The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. JAMA, 320(19), 2020–2028. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.14854
Van Oort, S., Beulens, J. W., Van Ballegooijen, A. J., Grobbee, D. E., & Larsson, S. C. (2020). Association of cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle behaviors with hypertension. Hypertension, 76(6), 1971–1979. https://doi.org/10.1161/hypertensionaha.120.15761
Trauer, J. M., Qian, M. Y., Doyle, J. S., Rajaratnam, S. M., & Cunnington, D. (2015). Cognitive Behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia. Annals of Internal Medicine, 163(3), 191–204. https://doi.org/10.7326/m14-2841
Zhang, G., Feng, W., Zhao, L., Zhao, X., & Li, T. (2024). The association between physical activity, self-efficacy, stress self-management and mental health among adolescents. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56149-4
Khoury, B., Sharma, M., Rush, S. E., & Fournier, C. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 78(6), 519–528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.03.009
Antoni, M. H., & Dhabhar, F. S. (2019). The impact of psychosocial stress and stress management on immune responses in patients with cancer. Cancer, 125(9), 1417–1431. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.31943
Wickramaratne, P. J., Yangchen, T., Lepow, L., Patra, B. G., Glicksburg, B., Talati, A., Adekkanattu, P., Ryu, E., Biernacka, J. M., Charney, A., Mann, J. J., Pathak, J., Olfson, M., & Weissman, M. M. (2022). Social connectedness as a determinant of mental health: A scoping review. PloS One, 17(10), e0275004. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275004
Burlingame, G. M., Strauss, B., & Joyce, A. (2013). Change mechanisms and effectiveness of small group treatments. Bergin and Garfield’s handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change, 6, 640-689.
Santini, Z. I., Koyanagi, A., Tyrovolas, S., Mason, C., & Haro, J. M. (2015). The association between social relationships and depression: a systematic review. Journal of affective disorders, 175, 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.12.049
Kruger, K. A., & Serpell, J. A. (2010). Animal-assisted interventions in mental health: Definitions and theoretical foundations. In A. H. Fine (Ed.), Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice (3rd ed., pp. 33–48). Elsevier Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-381453-1.10003-0
Sahebalzamani, M., Rezaei, O., & Moghadam, L. F. (2020). Animal-assisted therapy on happiness and life quality of chronic psychiatric patients living in psychiatric residential care homes: a randomized controlled study. BMC psychiatry, 20(1), 575. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02980-8
McDonough, I. M., Erwin, H. B., Sin, N. L., & Allen, R. S. (2022). Pet ownership is associated with greater cognitive and brain health in a cross-sectional sample across the adult lifespan. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 14, 953889. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.953889
López-Fernández, E., Palacios-Cuesta, A., Rodríguez-Martínez, A., Olmedilla-Jodar, M., Fernández-Andrade, R., Mediavilla-Fernández, R., Sánchez-Díaz, J. I., & Máximo-Bocanegra, N. (2024). Implementation feasibility of animal-assisted therapy in a pediatric intensive care unit: effectiveness on reduction of pain, fear, and anxiety. European journal of pediatrics, 183(2), 843–851. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-023-05284-7
Filan, S. L., & Llewellyn-Jones, R. H. (2006). Animal-assisted therapy for dementia: a review of the literature. International psychogeriatrics, 18(4), 597–611. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610206003322
Allen, K., Blascovich, J., & Mendes, W. B. (2002). Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets, friends, and spouses: the truth about cats and dogs. Psychosomatic medicine, 64(5), 727–739. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000024236.11538.41
Barker, S. B., & Wolen, A. R. (2008). The benefits of human-companion animal interaction: a review. Journal of veterinary medical education, 35(4), 487–495. https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme.35.4.487
Wohlfarth, R., Mutschler, B., Beetz, A., Kreuser, F., & Korsten-Reck, U. (2013). Dogs motivate obese children for physical activity: key elements of a motivational theory of animal-assisted interventions. Frontiers in Psychology, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00796
Peel, N., Nguyen, K., & Tannous, C. (2023). The impact of Campus-Based Therapy Dogs on the mood and affect of university students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health/International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6), 4759. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064759
Guzmán, E. G., Rodríguez, L. S., Santamarina-Perez, P., Barros, L. H., Giralt, M. G., Elizalde, E. D., Ubach, F. R., Gonzalez, M. R., Yuste, Y. P., Téllez, C. D., Cela, S. R., Gisbert, L. R., Medina, M. S., Ballesteros-Urpi, A., & Liñan, A. M. (2022). The benefits of Dog-Assisted therapy as complementary treatment in a children’s Mental Health day hospital. Animals, 12(20), 2841. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12202841
Harvard Health. (2024, April 3). Understanding the stress response. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response
Mph, Z. S. (2024, January 15). 13 natural ways to lower your cortisol levels. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322335?transit_id=3ecfe4cf-8d64-4cb2-ba0f-096cf655d30c#how-to-lower-cortisol
Beetz, A., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Julius, H., & Kotrschal, K. (2012). Psychosocial and Psychophysiological effects of Human-Animal Interactions: The possible role of Oxytocin. Frontiers in Psychology, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00234
Kwik, J. (2021, December 13). 4 Incredible Ways Pets Change Our Brain - Jim Kwik - medium. Medium. https://kwikbrain.medium.com/looking-for-a-brain-boost-cuddle-your-pets-89d46861a60f
Professional, C. C. M. (n.d.). Dopamine. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22581-dopamine
Professional, C. C. M. (n.d.-b). Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS). Cleveland Clinic.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23266-parasympathetic-nervous-system-psns
Dalton, K. R., Waite, K. B., Ruble, K., Carroll, K. C., DeLone, A., Frankenfield, P., Serpell, J. A., Thorpe, R. J., Jr, Morris, D. O., Agnew, J., Rubenstein, R. C., & Davis, M. F. (2020). Risks associated with animal-assisted intervention programs: A literature review. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 39, 101145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101145
Wilson, V. A. D. (2018, September). Costs, benefits and mechanisms of animal assisted therapy: adopting a change in perspective. Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care. https://www.celcis.org/application/files/1916/2307/8912/2018_Vol_17_No_4_Wilson_V_Human-Animal_Interactions.pdf
