The power of pets in reducing loneliness and social isolation for at-risk groups

A new pilot program is the first to use a shared interest in pets to help build connections between young and older adults to reduce loneliness and social isolation.

Social isolation and loneliness stem from a reduced sense of belonging, due to a lack of social connections, and can lead to detrimental effects on physical health and cognitive decline. These experiences have been exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two of the most impacted groups in relation to social isolation and loneliness are young adults, including international Monash University students, and older adults living in residential aged care.

Led by Monash University researcher Dr. Em Bould, the Pets and People program was co-designed using an action research process with international university students, older adults living in residential aged care and senior management staff across two aged care providers. The pilot involved 30 older adults from two aged care facilities in Victoria, and 11 international university students volunteering to participate in the program.

The participants met face-to-face for one hour each week, over 18 weeks. To encourage conversations, the program included animal-focused leisure activities (e.g., arts and crafts, jigsaws, animal bingo, singing animal-themed songs), robotic animals and live pets. Pets participating in the program included those living at an aged care facility, pets of family members and staff, and Dr. Bould's pet dog, Barney.

Six older adults, 10 international Monash University students and three senior aged care management staff participated in the evaluation of the program. This involved completing surveys at the start and end of the pilot, and a semi-structured interview. The findings are published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.

"We found that both older adults and international students experienced a significant decrease in feelings of loneliness and a significant increase in their health. The presence of live pets in particular helped to break the ice and facilitated conversations between participants," Dr. Bould said.

Loneliness was measured using the UCLA Loneliness scale, and significantly decreased from 49.4 to 41.4. Participants' health was measured using the EuroQol-5 Dimension Instrument and there was a clinically significant increase from 0.741 to 0.800.

An older participant of the program said, "I was lonely, so the program has perked me up. I feel like I have made some friends, and it's made me feel less lonely."

An international student of the program said, "After doing this program, I always feel like my mood becomes better, and I feel more relaxed, and just happier than before."

Dr. Bould and colleagues also explored the costs associated with participating in the program. They found for each person who participated in 10 weeks or more of the 18-week program, the average program cost was $237 per person. An explorative cost-utility analysis indicated a cost of $4,017 per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained, which is well below the threshold for the Australian Government's health-related expenditure of $28,000 per QALY gained.

"The pilot of the Pets and People program and evaluation findings have demonstrated a promising example of a low-cost program that can enhance health-related quality of life, well-being and feelings of loneliness," Dr. Bould said.

"The Pets and People program has the potential for replication and scaling across aged care settings both in Australia and internationally."

Following the pilot period, Dr. Bould worked with one aged care provider, Fronditha Care, to scale up program implementation across five of their aged care facilities and community support programs.

Faye Spiteri OAM, CEO, Fronditha Care, said "We welcomed the partnership because we understand the importance of a program like this in creating opportunities for our elders to experience the joy that pets bring. By reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation, the program supports their health and well-being and we have seen positive and encouraging health outcomes as a result."

More information: Em Bould et al, Pilot of an animal-assisted activity program to support intergenerational and intercultural community connections to reduce loneliness and social isolation, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2025.101970

This article was originally published on MedicalXpress Breaking News-and-Events.