# A dog, a cat, a budgie — how much can they benefit our mental health?

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- Last updated: 2026-08-15
- Page title: A dog, a cat, a budgie — how much can they benefit our mental health? | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alişan Burak Yaşar

> A dog, a cat, a budgie — none is a cure for depression. But for the right person, in the right circumstances, the effect can be measurable. What does the l

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# A dog, a cat, a budgie — how much can they benefit our mental health?

May 21, 2026Recent Articles

A dog, a cat, a budgie — none is a cure for depression. But for the right person, in the right circumstances, the effect can be measurable.

What does the literature say?
•⁠ ⁠Among older adults living alone, pet owners are 36% less likely to report loneliness (Stanley, 2014).
•⁠ ⁠Dog-assisted therapy produces a statistically significant, moderate reduction in depressive symptoms in adults aged 65+ (g=−0.65, meta-analysis of RCTs, 2024).
•⁠ ⁠In care homes, animal-assisted interventions have the largest effect size on loneliness of all social interventions (JAMA Netw Open, 2022).
•⁠ ⁠A 3-month randomized study in which 144 older adults were given canaries: quality of life and depressive symptoms improved significantly compared with the control groups (Colombo, 2006).

Differences between species
Dog: the strongest evidence is for active people who can go outdoors and live alone. Cat: for people with limited mobility who seek calm. Budgie / canary: cage-kept, with low care demands; particularly effective in settings such as residential care homes.

But not every study shows a benefit. In some studies, the effect disappears when confounding variables are controlled for. In some populations, pet owners report more depression. When the association between dog ownership and mortality is reanalyzed, it loses statistical significance (Bauman, 2020).

In short: an animal is neither an SSRI nor a substitute for psychotherapy. Professional support is essential for clinical depression or anxiety. But in circumstances such as loneliness, bereavement, or later life — with the right match — an animal can provide a meaningful buffer.

[For scientific sources and an article summary → CLICK HERE](https://alisanburak.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/evcil_hayvanlar_ruh_sagligi.pdf)

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