First-of-its-kind Research Indicates Therapy Dog Interventions Reduce Loneliness in Patients Hospitalized for the Treatment of Mental Illness
Randomized Controlled Trial Funded by HABRI and Pet Partners Provides Evidence Supporting Benefits of Animal-Assisted Interventions for Adult Patients Hospitalized in a Psychiatric Unit
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Pet Partners announced results of a randomized clinical trial that indicate the presence of a therapy dog contributes to greater immediate improvement in loneliness for psychiatric inpatients than visits from another person, or standard care alone. This study, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, was conducted by Dr. Nancy Gee, Director for the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University, and colleagues.
"Our results suggest therapy dogs uniquely contribute to the amelioration of loneliness, in this case, in patients with mental illness, and further support the potential for animal-assisted interventions (AAI) as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of mental illness addressing issues related to loneliness," said Dr. Nancy Gee, the study's principal investigator. "No prior study had examined the impact of the presence of a dog on loneliness in hospitalized psychiatric patients, and we are proud to contribute to our understanding of AAI for loneliness."
Loneliness is associated with many health threats and is a particularly significant contributor to mortality and morbidity among people with serious mental illness1. In this randomized controlled trial, 60 individuals who were hospitalized and being treated for acute mental illness participated in daily 20-minute interventions over the course of three days. Researchers used various validated scales to measure loneliness before and after each intervention.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either standard treatment, an AAI visit from a therapy dog and their human handler, or a visit from the therapy dog's human handler alone, which served as a conversational control, or treatment as usual. Loneliness was found to decrease significantly more in the group that received an AAI intervention than in the other groups. Patients who were dog owners in the AAI group also experienced more lasting reductions in loneliness relative to the other two groups, who experienced only short-term reductions in loneliness, suggesting that dog visitation, not just human visitation, is especially helpful for this population.
"Pet Partners is committed to research that supports the field of animal-assisted interventions and provides evidence that helps make the healing benefits of the human-animal bond more accessible to all," said C. Annie Peters, president and CEO of Pet Partners. "We are encouraged by the results of this randomized controlled trial, which supports AAI as an additional treatment option for people who are hospitalized."
"HABRI is proud to support this high-quality research that utilized a rigorous study design and adhered to high ethical standards for all people and animals involved," said Steven Feldman, president, HABRI. "These findings contribute to our understanding of the benefits of AAI in hospital settings and show meaningful reductions in loneliness among a particularly vulnerable population."
About HABRI
HABRI is a not-for-profit organization that funds innovative scientific research to document the health benefits of companion animals; educates the public about human-animal bond research; and advocates for the beneficial role of companion animals in society. For more information, please visit http://www.habri.org.
About Pet Partners
Pet Partners is the leader in the therapy animal field for registering volunteer teams. Since 1977, we have supported thousands of teams in making millions of meaningful visits across the country and around the world. Through the human-animal bond, we can improve the physical, social, and emotional lives of both the people and animals involved. Pet Partners supports volunteer teams by offering the highest quality preparation, an unmatched approach to evaluation and registration—for nine different types of animals, and a focus on connections. We elevate the importance of therapy animal visits, and our teams help build a healthier and happier world for us all. Whether or not you have a pet, learn more about sharing the human-animal bond by visiting petpartners.org.
1 Just, S. A., Seethaler, M., Sarpeah, R., Waßmuth, N., Bermpohl, F., & Brandl, E. J. (2022). Loneliness in elderly inpatients. Psychiatric Quarterly, 93(4), 1017-1030.
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SOURCE Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)
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