Can Pets Prevent Suicide? The Impact of Companion Animals on Suicidality: Scoping Review and Clinical Recommendations

Suicide is widely recognized as an international health epidemic despite significant efforts for prevention. Various psychosocial factors can impact an individual's suicide risk. This scoping review explored the current literature on the impact of companion animals (i.e., pets) on suicidality.

A scoping review was completed utilizing PRISMA guidelines and the PRISMA Scoping Review Extension to assess the scope of existing research on this topic. The extracted studies were reviewed by a team of research and mental health professionals to develop themes and clinical recommendations, ensuring a direct bridge from research findings to practical application.

The search yielded 1948 articles for title and abstract review, of which 64 were retained for full-text review, with 30 meeting the inclusion criteria. Included studies were reviewed by the research team, and data were extracted and discussed. Themes were identified as they relate to suicidality and summarized as representing protective factors against suicide, risk factors for suicide, unclear/inconclusive impact on suicidality, or no impact on suicidality.

The results of this review provide insight into the complex ways in which pets can contribute to both protective and risk factors for suicidality. Understanding this impact can inform clinical practice and suicide prevention efforts.