Song Yujin, Jung Youngwook, Choi Yeonju, Yoon Minjung
Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Korea.
Department of Horse, Companion, and Wild Animal Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Korea.
J Anim Sci Technol. 2025 Jul;67(4):719-736. doi: 10.5187/jast.2025.e5. Epub 2025 Jul 31.
The demand for mental health support systems has been increasing because of the rising prevalence of mental health issues globally. These challenges related to mental health have been addressed through animal-assisted intervention. This approach has gained recognition as an effective method that enhances emotional stability and fosters social bonds. Canine-assisted intervention, a subset of animal-assisted intervention that involves dogs, is recognized for its effectiveness in managing stress and depression in humans. Despite the development of various canine-assisted intervention programs, there is insufficient scientific data evaluating the efficacy of each program. Customized programs that target individuals' symptoms and needs are necessary to effectively manage stress and depression. As such, generalizing the effects of canine-assisted intervention across diverse situations continues to be a challenge. This review aims to identify the most effective canine-assisted intervention programs for various target groups and suggest strategies that maximize the effects of canine-assisted intervention programs by consolidating various biometric indicators and physiological evaluation tools and by analyzing the effects of canine-assisted intervention through multiple approaches. It examines current studies demonstrating how interactions with therapy dogs lead to remarkable psychological and physiological changes, including measurable reductions in stress indicators (such as cortisol levels and heart rates) and notable improvements in overall mood and emotional well-being. Furthermore, this paper evaluates the effectiveness of canine-assisted intervention in various settings, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic intervention and preventive measure in mental health care. Based on previous findings, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the role of canine-assisted intervention in enhancing human mental health and its potential for broader implementation across diverse environments.
由于全球心理健康问题的患病率不断上升,对心理健康支持系统的需求一直在增加。与心理健康相关的这些挑战已通过动物辅助干预得到解决。这种方法已被公认为是一种增强情绪稳定性和促进社会联系的有效方法。犬类辅助干预是动物辅助干预的一个子集,涉及狗,因其在管理人类压力和抑郁方面的有效性而得到认可。尽管已经开发了各种犬类辅助干预项目,但评估每个项目疗效的科学数据仍然不足。针对个人症状和需求的定制项目对于有效管理压力和抑郁是必要的。因此,在不同情况下概括犬类辅助干预的效果仍然是一个挑战。本综述旨在确定针对不同目标群体最有效的犬类辅助干预项目,并通过整合各种生物特征指标和生理评估工具,以及通过多种方法分析犬类辅助干预的效果,提出最大化犬类辅助干预项目效果的策略。它研究了当前的研究,这些研究表明与治疗犬的互动如何导致显著的心理和生理变化,包括压力指标(如皮质醇水平和心率)的可测量降低以及整体情绪和情感幸福感的显著改善。此外,本文评估了犬类辅助干预在各种环境中的有效性,突出了其作为心理健康护理中的治疗干预和预防措施的潜力。基于先前的研究结果,本综述全面概述了犬类辅助干预在增强人类心理健康方面的作用及其在不同环境中更广泛实施的潜力。