Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) comprise preventive strategies that employ animals to promote overall health and well-being through non-educational, non-pharmacological, and mediatory methods. These interventions include emotional, psychological, and physical interactions among people, animals, and their surroundings (1). Consequently, AAI is frequently employed to address various behavioral, psychological, and emotional issues that individuals may experience (2). Currently, AAI is recognized as either an alternative or a complementary approach to conventional medical or psychological treatments (3, 4), and it can effectively improve emotional health, reduce anxiety, and lower stress levels (5–7).

Since the introduction of the concept of AAI by American psychiatrist Boris Levinson in 1962 (8), interest in the therapeutic benefits of AAI has steadily increased over the past 60 years, leading to its incorporation into various medical and psychological treatment programs. This increasing popularity is reflected in the substantial rise in academic publications exploring various aspects of AAI, including its efficacy, potential mechanisms, and applications across different patient populations. Existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses have provided in-depth analyses and discussions of AAI from different research perspectives, such as for psychiatric patients (9), individuals with intellectual disabilities (10), dementia (11), prison populations (12), and the effectiveness of AAI (13, 14).

Although the benefits of AAI have been widely expounded, its integration into mainstream medical care and treatment practice is not without challenges. This includes ethical issues (15), internal effectiveness (16), and other factors that hinder the wide adoption and scalability of AAI intervention measures. In view of increasing research in this field, it is necessary to systematically evaluate its progress and emphasize emerging trends to guide future progress.

Bibliometric analysis involves the quantitative assessment of academic literature, offering valuable insights into research trends, key thematic areas, and influential contributors within a specific field. Unlike traditional systematic reviews and meta-analyses, bibliometric analysis provides a more systematic and intuitive method for revealing the current state and development of research topics (17).

However, despite the growing literature on AAI, bibliometric studies that comprehensively depict the knowledge landscape in this field are significantly lacking. To address this gap, this paper employs bibliometric methods to analyze the sources, countries, institutions, authors, and thematic evolution within the AAI research domain. This approach not only maps the knowledge landscape of the field but also aids in understanding future research directions and potential areas for interdisciplinary collaboration.

This bibliometric analysis reveals trends and hotspots in AAI research. Since 1983, particularly in the past decade (2013–2023), there has been a significant increase in both the volume of publications and citation counts. This surge may be attributed to the 2013 white paper by the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO), titled “The IAHAIO Definitions for Animal Assisted Activity and Guidelines for Wellness of Animals Involved,” which formally defined AAI as a goal-oriented intervention incorporating animals into health, education, and human services to achieve therapeutic benefits for humans (49). This document may have catalyzed global research into the incorporation of animals into health, education, and human services. Subsequent data indicate that the peak in publication numbers in 2020 (n=54) and citation counts in 2021 (n=1,360) further underscores the growing significance of AAI as a therapeutic approach for mental and physical health in recent years.

Analysis of core journals and highly cited research in AAI reveals that the impact factors of the 11 core journals are generally low, with limited publication volumes. Even the journal with the highest number of publications, Animals, only has 26 articles. This may reflect that AAI, as an adjunctive therapy, is still in its developmental or relatively niche phase compared to more established medical or psychological interventions, suggesting a need for broader and deeper research coverage. Of the ten most-cited papers, nine are reviews. When review articles are heavily cited within a field, it often indicates rapid development in that area, with researchers summarizing and integrating new knowledge to delineate current research boundaries and future directions. Notably, the most cited article is “Animal-Assisted Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review” (22). Additionally, four reviews focus on dementia (11, 25, 26, 28), indicating significant therapeutic effects or potential of AAI in treating autism spectrum disorder and dementia, such as increased social interaction among autistic children (22) and improved social behaviors with reduced agitation and aggression in dementia patients (11, 28).

The global distribution of research productivity and impact in the AAI field reflects various factors, including national research investment, academic resources, and the extent of international collaboration. The United States leads in productivity (n=184) and the number of top ten high-producing authors (n=5), which is closely related to its substantial research funding and extensive academic resources. The United States hosts numerous universities and research institutions dedicated to fields such as medicine, psychology, and veterinary science, which are closely linked to AAI, with Purdue University contributing the most in this field. Italy (n=53) and Australia (n=35) rank second and third, respectively, reflecting their active engagement in AAI research. Italy’s long history in medical and psychological research provides a solid theoretical foundation for AAI, and its Ministry of Health has established “National Guidelines for AAI,” standardizing procedures for AAI (50), which may facilitate practical applications. Australia’s high ranking may be attributed to its emphasis on mental health and animal welfare, particularly through its model for animal welfare assessment and its continuous updates (51–57), which likely promotes the widespread application of AAI in practice. The high CPA in Australia (CPA=31.03) and Italy (CPA=27.43) further reflects both countries’ focus on innovative and targeted research directions that have attracted significant international academic attention and citations.

From a cross-national collaboration perspective, the network of collaborations enhances the global progress of AAI research. The United States, positioned at the center of the red cluster, collaborates closely with multiple countries (e.g., China, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia), indicating extensive domestic and international research efforts, which elevate the influence and quality of AAI research. European countries (e.g., Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and Hungary) also demonstrate close collaborations, reflecting Europe’s emphasis on multidisciplinary research cultures. With the increasing global focus on mental health and overall well-being, AAI research is expected to continue growing. To further enhance the impact and practical value of research, countries should continue to strengthen international collaborations, particularly in data sharing, standardized research methodologies, and cross-cultural studies. Establishing a global AAI research network can enable countries to collectively address global health challenges and advance AAI applications and research across broader social and cultural contexts.

The analysis of high-frequency words reveals the core hotspots and trends in the research field of AAI. Among them, the high frequency of “therapy” and “health” shows that AAI is mainly used to promote physical and mental health, especially in coping with “depression” [e.g., (58, 59)],”stress” [e.g., (60, 61)] and “anxiety” [e.g., (62, 63)] and other psychological problems. In addition, the high-frequency appearance of “children” shows that AAI is widely used in this groups [e.g., (64, 65)], while “pet therapy” and “animal-assisted therapy” reflect different intervention modes. It is worth noting that “dog” and “dogs” occupy an important position, indicating that dogs are the most common animals in AAI [e.g., (66, 67, 68)]. These results show that AAI research is continuing to deepen, paying attention to mental health, special population intervention, and the core role of dogs in treatment, which provides important reference for future research and practice.

The thematic evolution of AAI research from 1983 to 2023 indicates a shift from broad foundational research to targeted studies on specific diseases. Early research established the foundational advantages and applications of AAI, while subsequent research increasingly focused on measuring efficacy, addressing specific health conditions, and improving therapeutic interventions. The field’s continuous development reflects a deepening understanding of AAI’s potential and its applications in meeting various psychological and physical health needs. Future research directions should include improving research methodologies, developing new intervention strategies, and conducting more in-depth studies on different populations and diseases to optimize AAI applications further.

The results put forward some practical application and policy significance. First, governments and medical institutions should consider incorporating AAI into mental health and rehabilitation programs, especially for conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and dementia, where therapeutic effects are well supported. Second, developing standardized protocols and training for practitioners involved in AAI can ensure ethical practices and improve intervention effectiveness. Finally, promoting international collaboration and creating multidisciplinary research alliances could expand AAI’s reach and address cultural differences in its application, paving the way for more comprehensive and impactful interventions.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the inaugural bibliometric study within the domain of AAI. This research analyzed the sources, countries, institutions, authors, and thematic evolution trends of AAI research publications from 1983 to 2023. The findings indicate that AAI research has garnered extensive attention from scholars over the past decade. The most influential countries, institutions, journals, and authors identified are the United States, Purdue University, Animals, and Marguerite E. O’Haire, respectively. The “Animal-Assisted Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review” is the most cited. The focus on specialized interventions for specific populations is likely to be a research trend in the future.

Overall, this study provides a scientific perspective on AAI research and offers valuable insights for researchers, funding agencies, and policymakers. Highlighting current trends and areas of interest, it underscores the potential for future research directions, particularly in developing targeted interventions and expanding the global application and scope of AAI. Enhancing international collaboration and standardizing research methods could further improve the impact and applicability of AAI research across different cultural contexts.

This study has several limitations. Firstly, it exclusively retrieved literature from the WoSCC, which may introduce bias or omissions in the research. Future studies could expand their database coverage by including additional sources, such as Scopus or Google Scholar, to ensure a more comprehensive representation of the field. Secondly, due to limitations in terminology, document types, time range, and language, our search strategy may not encompass all relevant references, potentially affecting the comprehensiveness of the results. Thirdly, the study did not evaluate the potential protective factors of psychotherapy and counseling interventions, which can usually be used to prevent or alleviate symptoms without prescription. Future investigations could focus on integrating these protective factors into intervention strategies to more fully understand their role in AAI. In addition, exploring emerging technologies such as virtual reality or wearables can provide innovative insights into the application and effectiveness of these interventions.