The Effectiveness of Pet-Assisted Therapy on Mental Health and Rumination in Anxious Older Women

Abstract
Background: Older age is one of the sensitive stages of human development, characterized by its own unique features and conditions. Among the most common psychological issues in this stage are mental health problems and cognitive rumination. Therefore, the present study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of pet-assisted therapy on mental health and rumination in anxious older women.
Method: This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population included anxious older women who visited psychological centers in Gorgan, Iran during the second quarter of 2024, with an average age between 70 and 80 years, among whom 30 participants were selected through convenience sampling and according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (15 participants) or the control group (15 participants). To collect data, we used the Goldberg and Hillier’s General Health and the Nolen-Hoeksema and Davis’ Rumination Questionnaires. The intervention group received 10 sessions of Parish-Plus pet-assisted therapy, each lasting 60 minutes, while the control group did not receive any form of training or intervention during this period. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-26.
Results: The results showed that pet-assisted therapy had a significant positive effect on improving mental health and reducing rumination in anxious older women (p<.001).
Conclusion: Therefore, pet-assisted therapy can be considered an effective method to enhance mental health and reduce rumination in anxious older women. This intervention introduces a rational framework through which cognitive restructuring helps individuals learn new coping strategies to deal with anxiety and rumination.
EXTENDED ABSTRACT
 Introduction
 Aging is a natural process, a global phenomenon, and one of the developmental stages in the human life cycle. Various influential factors, such as anxiety, gain particular significance during this period. Anxiety can negatively affect an individual's mental health. Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which a person recognizes their abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, contributes productively to society, and is capable of making decisions and participating in collective activities. Another construct that may be associated with anxiety is rumination. Rumination refers to the passive and repetitive thinking about stressful events. It is a response that may arise due to various life experiences or emotional states such as anger, depression, or anxiety. One of the interventions used to treat individuals experiencing anxiety is pet-assisted therapy. Pet-assisted therapy is a form of health intervention that incorporates an animal as part of the therapeutic process, aiming to improve physical, social, emotional, and cognitive functioning. Given the existing gaps in the research literature in this field, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of pet-assisted therapy on mental health and rumination in anxious women in later adulthood.
Method
This quasi-experimental study was conducted through a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population consisted of anxious older women who attended psychological centers in the city of Gorgan, Iran during the second quarter of 2024. Among people who met the inclusion criteria, a sample of 30 participants was selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two groups: experimental (15 participants) and control (15 participants). The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) willingness to participate in the study and signing the informed consent form; (2) a minimum education level of fifth grade; (3) a score higher than 31.5 on Beck Anxiety Inventory; (4) a score lower than 56 on Goldberg and Hillier’s General Health Questionnaire; (5) a score higher than 55 on Nolen-Hoeksema and Davis’ Rumination Scale; (6) an age range between 70 and 80 years; and (7) the ability to live relatively independently. The exclusion criteria included (1) physical, motor, or cognitive disabilities, including Alzheimer’s disease; and (2) simultaneous participation in any other educational or therapeutic intervention. To collect the required data and conduct the intervention, the following instruments were used: the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Goldberg and Hillier’s General Health Questionnaire, Nolen-Hoeksema and Davis’s Rumination Scale, and the Parish-Plus Pet-Assisted Therapy protocol. Only the experimental group participated in ten 60-minute sessions of pet-assisted therapy. The intervention was administered by a qualified doctoral student in psychology at the Rasta Psychological Center in Gorgan. Finally, the data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS version 26.
Results
Prior to conducting the main statistical analysis, the assumptions underlying the use of ANCOVA were examined. The results of the Shapiro–Wilk test indicated that the data were normally distributed. Additionally, Levene’s test for homogeneity of variances between the two groups at the posttest stage was not statistically significant, confirming the assumption of equal variances. The assumption of homogeneity of regression slopes was also tested by examining the interaction effect between the independent variable and the pretest scores of each dependent variable on their respective posttest scores. The results showed that the F-value was not statistically significant (P<.05), indicating that the assumption of homogeneous regression slopes was met. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the posttest scores of the experimental group for the mental health variable increased compared to their pretest scores. In contrast, the posttest scores for rumination in the experimental group decreased relative to their pretest scores. Based on the findings presented in Table 1, the F-value for mental health in the posttest was 22.29, and for rumination, it was 20.05. Both values were statistically significant (p<.01), indicating a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of mental health and rumination. These results support the research hypotheses and suggest that pet-assisted therapy effectively improves mental health and reduces rumination in anxious women in later adulthood. Furthermore, the effect sizes of .502 for mental health and .461 for rumination indicate that these differences are substantial and significant at the population level.
Conclusion
The results demonstrated that pet-assisted therapy was effective in improving mental health and reducing rumination in anxious older women. This finding can be explained by the growing recognition of animal-assisted interventions as a complementary and effective approach for addressing psychological challenges. Such therapies not only contribute to psychological well-being but also offer numerous benefits for physical health. Interaction with animals can enhance feelings of calmness and joy, helping individuals manage daily stress more effectively. In addition, rumination, defined as excessive and repetitive focus on negative thoughts, unpleasant past experiences, and future worries, represents a cognitive cycle that often exacerbates anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues rather than resolving them. One of the emerging forms of psychotherapy that has gained considerable attention is cat-assisted therapy. The presence of a cat during therapeutic sessions has a soothing effect on patients, helping to lower blood pressure and promote emotional healing. The most notable impact of cats in therapy is their ability to induce a sense of relaxation, which can assist individuals in overcoming cognitive rumination.
Ethical Consideration
Ethical Code
This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University, Chalus Branch, under the ethical code IR.IAU.CHALUS.REC.1403.070.
Financial Support
This study did not receive financial support.
Authors’ Contributions
E.Z: Data Curation, Writing - Original Draft; J.A: Project administration, Supervision, Validation; L.S.A.Z: Software, Formal analysis; M.J: Visualization, Writing - Review & Editing.
Conflict of Interest
The authors had no conflicts of interest.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Research Affairs Office of Islamic Azad University, Gorgan Branch for their moral support and collaboration in conducting this study. Special thanks are also extended to all the older participants who patiently and enthusiastically contributed to the completion of this research.
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