What role do pets really play in mental health?

In this episode, I’m joined by Helen Brooks, Professor of Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing and Mental Health Research Group Lead at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work. Helen is also Programme Director for the MSc in Clinical Research and has spent years studying how people manage mental and physical illness in everyday life.

We explore her research on pets and companion animals as emotional anchors — not as therapy tools, but as sources of presence, routine, purpose, and non-judgemental support.

We talk about:

• Why animals provide emotional safety when humans sometimes can’t
• How pets reduce isolation, intrusive thoughts, and despair
• Purpose, responsibility, and behavioural activation
• Identity, continuity, and dignity after a mental health diagnosis
• Why grief after losing a pet is often misunderstood
• The risks, limits, and ethical realities of pet-based support
• What healthcare systems still fail to recognise about human–animal bonds

This is a conversation about co-regulation, trust, silence, and presence — and what animals quietly teach us about how to support one another when words fail.

Whether you’re a pet owner, struggling with your mental health, or simply curious about how connection really works, this episode will change how you think about companionship.