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Our pets bring us joy and comfort, and they sometimes even help us when we are ill. But while the usefulness of a companion animal in the case of physical conditions has been accepted and well-documented by the medical community, there is less research available on the role of pets in mental illness. A new study aims to fill this gap by investigating how pets affect their owners' mental well-being.

Millions of Americans are affected by a serious mental illness every year. In fact, approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States reportedly experience mental health problems in a given year.

Many of these people experience feelings of loneliness and isolation. Sometimes, being diagnosed with a long-term condition means losing one's previous social status and connections with people.

These feelings have been documented in psychiatric literature and connected with a patient's so-called ontological security. The term refers to a sense of order, continuity, and meaning in a person's life, together with a positive outlook on the future.

New research examines the impact of having a pet on the sense of ontological security and well-being of people with mental health problems.