The Influence of Animals on the Mental and Emotional Development of Children's and Adolescents. A Literature Review

In recent years the presence of animals in family has become more important. This trend reflects that parents are looking to manage the emotional and mental growth of their children and their own emotions. Animals are seen as helpful to reduce stress and boost overall emotional well-being. The therapeutic role of animals is well known in organized programs like Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA) and Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), especially for children dealing with behavioral issues or symptoms related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methodology of the paper: The paper presents a systematic review of literature from 2001-2024 that examines how pets influence children and adolescents emotional and mental development. The systematic literature search identified 21 articles from 11 countries that met the inclusion criteria, which covered both the topic and the methods used in the studies. The conclusions indicate that having animals affects the emotional and mental growth of children and teens. The studies reviewed a positive correlation between interacting with animals and the emotional and mental development of these age groups.