Clinical and neurobiological effects of real-life and virtual animal-assisted interventions for patients with depression.

Willms J, Sader A, Juckel G, Mavrogiorgou P

Psychiatry research19 Dec 2025Cited by 1 (Europe PMC)

PMID41461126DOI10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116917PepBankPUB-41461126

Publisher page PubMedAsk about this study

Summary

BackgroundAnimal-assisted interventions (AAIs) have been shown to exert beneficial effects on various mental disorders. However, organizational, hygienic, and ethical challenges often limit their implementation. As a result, virtual alternatives are gaining increasing relevance. Initial findings suggest that digital interactions with animals may also elicit affective and physiological responses, although systematic, controlled studies are lacking. This study aimed to systematically compare the effects of real and virtual AAIs on depressive symptoms and peripheral oxytocin concentrations in patients with depression and healthy controls.MethodsIn a mixed factorial design (N = 66), patients with depression and healthy controls each underwent three conditions in randomized order: interaction with a live therapy dog, a virtual therapy dog, and a virtual reality (VR)-based fantastical creature. Depressive symptoms (per the DASS) and salivary oxytocin concentrations were assessed.ResultsAll interventions significantly reduced depressive symptoms in patients, with the strongest effects observed for the live therapy dog and the VR-based fantastical creature. Oxytocin levels increased significantly across all conditions, regardless of participant group.ConclusionVirtual animal interactions can evoke psychophysiological effects comparable to real-life AAIs. They appear promising as accessible, technology-supported interventions for psychiatric populations, particularly when access to live animals is limited.

CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study1

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Natural levels measured1

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01HumanEndogenous levelRandomized controlled trialOther
In patients with depression and healthy controls, salivary oxytocin levels rose significantly during live dog, virtual dog and virtual creature interactions, regardless of participant group.
In plain wordsIn people with depression and healthy people, the body's own saliva oxytocin rose in all three conditions: live dog, virtual dog, virtual creature.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseSalivary oxytocin concentration
Study
n = 66
Outcome group
Endogenous peptide levels · Endocrine and hormones
Source sentences
Summary
Oxytocin levels increased significantly across all conditions, regardless of participant group.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In a mixed factorial design (N = 66), patients with depression and healthy controls each underwent three conditions in randomized order: interaction with a live therapy dog, a virtual therapy dog, and a virtual reality (VR)-based fantastical creature.
Summary · context
Depressive symptoms (per the DASS) and salivary oxytocin concentrations were assessed.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Show in the study text Report a problemFND-4146112601

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Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

Version 2Current
11 Oct 2026, 00:50 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 02:47 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

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