Impact of pet ownership and animal-assisted therapy on suicidal ideation and suicide deaths: A scoping review

Abstract

Background

There is growing research on therapeutic benefits of animals. However, their impact on suicide-related outcomes such as suicidal ideation (SI), suicide attempts (SA), and suicide deaths remains unclear. This scoping review consolidates existing literature on the role of pet ownership and animal assisted therapy (AAT) on suicide-related outcomes.

Methods

A PRISMA-compliant systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO was conducted up to March 10, 2025. Articles reporting the impact of pet ownership or AAT on SI, SA, or suicide deaths were included. Screening and data extraction were performed in duplicate, with risk of bias assessed using appropriate tools for each study design except for case reports and interviews. Study findings were descriptively summarized.

Results

25 studies were included: one RCT, five pre- and post-studies, two cohort studies, one case-control study, three case reports/series, and 13 surveys/interviews. For pet ownership, a cohort study (n=709) found a positive association between time with dog and SI (r=0.17, p<0.001). Two other observational studies yielded non-significant results against suicide deaths. For AAT, one pre- and post-study of veterans (n=71) reported significant SI reductions (t(54)=4.87, p<0.001) while another pre- and post-study of adolescents (n=30) also found significant SI reductions (χ² McNemar=6.75; p<0.05). Four other experimental studies, including one RCT, yielded non-significant results. Qualitative findings suggested pet ownership and AAT may have a perceived protective effect against SI. No articles reported on SA. Most articles had a high or moderate risk of bias.

Conclusion

While there is a reported perceived protective effect of pet ownership and AAT against SI, the evidence for pet ownership and AAT remains inconclusive in relations to SI, SA, and suicide deaths. Future research should focus on high-quality with stringent methodology, large-scale, experimental studies with standardized outcome measures to clarify the role of animals in suicide prevention.