The Impact of Animal-Assisted Therapy on the Well-Being of Individuals with Various Disorders

Yuansi Wu

2025

Abstract

Well-being is closely linked to social belonging and psychological health. Psychotherapy and pharmacological treatments targeting these components significantly improve well-being. The current review aimed to understand how animal-assisted therapy (AAT) contributes to positive social and psychological outcomes in individuals with mental illnesses, neurodevelopmental disorders, and cognitive impairments. Given the varying treatment approaches required for these conditions, the review also explored how AAT implementation differs based on age characteristics. Results indicated that AAT tasks were more physically demanding for children compared to elderly participants. For elders, AAT focused on meeting unmet emotional needs to improve well-being, while for children, the focus was on enhancing engagement and self-regulation skills. Both age groups experienced improvements in positive moods, anxiety levels, and social connections. However, no significant cognitive or mental health improvements were observed. Future research should explore the long-term benefits of AAT, investigate its potential cognitive benefits for elderly participants, and examine strategies to optimize the involvement of professionals during therapy sessions.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Wu Y. (2025). The Impact of Animal-Assisted Therapy on the Well-Being of Individuals with Various Disorders. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management - Volume 1: APMM; ISBN 978-989-758-791-7, SciTePress, pages 193-199. DOI: 10.5220/0014110900004942

in Bibtex Style

@conference{apmm25,
author={Yuansi Wu},
title={The Impact of Animal-Assisted Therapy on the Well-Being of Individuals with Various Disorders},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management - Volume 1: APMM},
year={2025},
pages={193-199},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0014110900004942},
isbn={978-989-758-791-7},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management - Volume 1: APMM
TI - The Impact of Animal-Assisted Therapy on the Well-Being of Individuals with Various Disorders
SN - 978-989-758-791-7
AU - Wu Y.
PY - 2025
SP - 193
EP - 199
DO - 10.5220/0014110900004942
PB - SciTePress