| In order to provide the most effective services, mental health providers must attend to a
client’s holistic wellness, including the impact of important social relationships. Most clients
receiving mental health services (over 60%) share their household with a companion animal,
with over 85 percent of pet guardians considering their pet to be family. Individuals with
companion animals experience unique stressors, may change their behavior in times of crisis,
and have a near certainty of dealing with the eventual loss and grief of their companion animal.
Thus, to best serve the needs of a majority of mental health clients, provider training should
include coverage of the unique aspects of human relationships with companion
animals. However, no current guidelines exist as to what information on relationships with
companion animals should be taught to mental health providers. To address this gap, a threeround conventional Delphi study was utilized to identify consensus among the informed
judgments of a panel of 11 experts on the human-animal bond and mental health disciplines. The
panel participated in an initial qualitative survey, followed by two quantitative surveys.
In total, 52 of the 54 statements reached consensus at the end of the final round. The most
noteworthy themes of the statements include the companion animal relationship evidence base,
the impacts of companion animals on wellness, the integration of companion animals into
treatment, the integration of companion animals into assessment, theories and models describing
and explaining companion animal relationships, specialty practice areas relating to companion
animals, attitudes towards companion animals, and the impact that including companion animals has on the therapeutic relationships. The panel highlighted the need to include a balanced
perspective on the impact of companion animal relationships on wellness.
Educators and supervisors who train mental health professionals should consider
integrating nuanced and accurate information about companion animal relationships into existing
training curricula. Additionally, intake forms and assessments should be created to include
relationships with companion animals. The results of this Delphi study provide concrete
recommendations for necessary companion animal content to include in mental health provider
curriculum.
Key Words: Companion Animals, Mental Health Provider Education, Human-Animal Bond,
Delphi Method, Pet Relationships |