Pets and a teen's mental health

Asha Pemberton

The supportive emotional benefits of animal companionship are well-documented.

Beyond the popularity of having prescribed “emotional support animals,” even having domestic or non-traditional animals as pets can foster positive emotional relationships, compassion, empathy, and responsibility in teens.

For adolescents with mental health disorders, pets can be particularly beneficial as they can provide the consistency in affection and routine that some youth require.

In our context, general family pets tend to be more typical, but there is value in considering providing young people with their own pet for the psychological as well as developmental benefits.

One of the most challenging parts of being a teen struggling with a mental health disorder is feeling alone. Due a combination of the effects of the disorder, frequent parental denial and social stigma, young people overwhelmingly struggle with isolation and loneliness.

This is a primary way in which pets are beneficial. The unconditional love and consistency that animals instinctively provide serve to bridge the needs of young people in distress. Pets can also give teens a sense purpose, the feeling of being needed and an increased desire to live and be happy.

Studies have shown that animals can boost mood, decrease loneliness, and create feelings of social support.

Adolescents who are navigating mental health diagnoses such as depression or anxiety sometimes struggle to take care of themselves.

Intuitively, parents may believe they would flounder at being able to fulfil other responsibilities. However, the emotional relationship between teens and animals can be the impetus for enhanced motivation to take responsibility for the pet.

Owning or having a pet creates some structure in a teen’s life without overwhelming them with excessive responsibilities. In addition, the reciprocal emotional connection between pet and owner helps positively fuel young people’s need to care for something and apply their efforts.

Pet ownership can increase empathy and compassion in teens, qualities that some adolescents with mental health diagnoses have difficulty developing. Seeing pets react to human expressions of emotion can help teens learn how their words and actions impact others.

When a teen struggles with human interactions, an animal’s physical contact and interaction can teach them to look outside of themselves and develop compassion for others.

Pets offer young people companionship at a time when human companionship is increasingly diminished or unavailable. Young people today are constantly connected through the non-human channels of social media networking and online gaming.

While these are portals for communication with peers, they lack the in-person nuance of direct connectivity. For young people who struggle with social cues or have developmental disorders, fostering that connection through pets can be a useful and instructive proxy toward improved human communication skills.

When teens experience grief due to the loss of friends through conflict, family through death or other causes of loss, pets provide consolation. Conversely, when young people are attached their pets, who become ill or die, parents need to recognise their grief and not make light of their sorrow.

The benefits of pets related to mental wellbeing, responsibility, organization and consistency are innumerable. The benefits and many and the lessons learned last for a lifetime.