Animal magic: why pets are proving to be the right medicine for mental health

Pets became a source of comfort for many during the pandemic, whether for companionship, unconditional love, or distraction from everyday life.

But for some, the connection between a pet and its owner runs much deeper than the standard man’s best friend.  Recent research exploring pets and human interaction for mental health uncovers new benefits for stress, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

This story discusses the impact of pets on mental health and why so many people turn to them in stressful situations. Through this, we find that it’s not always what we can do for our pets, but rather what our pets can do for us.  

Warning: this story includes themes of depression, post-traumatic stress, and mental health adjacent themes.

All music and atmosphere sounds are from the website, ‘freesounds.’