PET THERAPY: THE APPROACH TO SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH OF PEOPLE IN THEIR LIFE-LONG DURING COVID-19 PERIOD

Abstract

It is widely known that human beings share life with other living things other than their generation. It can be seen that to survive, human beings take advantage of other living things such as plants and animals. For centuries, human beings have not only benefited from animals for food but also met their social and psychological needs. The interaction of humans and animals has led that animals are considered from different angles. After the 18th century, studies about the physiological, social, and psychological effects of animals on human beings were conducted. According to some research findings, animals have healing effects on humans physiologically, socially, and psychologically. People have faced different problems of different ages and have tried to find various solutions to these problems. Nowadays, the whole world and Turkey face a pandemic called COVID-19. As a natural disaster, this pandemic deeply affects life in terms of societal, cultural, social, psychological, and especially economic. Studies about precautions and interventions towards traumatic experiences should be conducted. Unless these studies are conducted, it may cause Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders. Post-traumatic stress disorders emerge as an expensive condition that requires psychological treatment and is costly to people and the country. Nowadays, alternative therapy approaches are benefited from recovering mental problems. It can be seen that pet therapy has been used in the field of mental health in recent years. It is considered that pet therapy can be used as an alternative therapy method during and also after the COVID-19 process, considering the benefits such as reduction of the symptoms of sleep problems, depression, anxiety, psychosomatic and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders. In this study, pet therapy is investigated as an approach to support mental health during the COVID-19 process and it is aimed to present pet therapy as an alternative therapy method to reduce the effects of COVID-19. For this purpose, a review article is conducted by examining related studies. In line with the literature information obtained, the approach to animals and the historical development of pet therapy have been tried to be discussed. Thereafter, pet therapy research findings are included according to developmental periods such as old age, adulthood, childhood, and adolescence. After the information about COVID-19, explanations and suggestions about pet therapy are given.