Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Veterinary Mental Health

Veterinary mental health is the area of veterinary science concerned with the emotional and psychological well-being of animals, encompassing the recognition, prevention, and management of behavioral and affective disorders across companion, working, and production species. It rests on the understanding that animals…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 6 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 37× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2575-1212 🗓 Reviewed June 2026

Overview

Veterinary mental health is the area of veterinary science concerned with the emotional and psychological well-being of animals, encompassing the recognition, prevention, and management of behavioral and affective disorders across companion, working, and production species. It rests on the understanding that animals can experience states such as fear, anxiety, chronic stress, and distress, and that these states influence physiology, behavior, welfare, and clinical outcomes. Conditions of interest include separation-related problems, phobias, compulsive behaviors, and stress responses arising from genetics, early experience, housing, handling, and environmental factors. Assessment combines behavioral observation, validated welfare indicators, and physiological measures of stress, while management may integrate environmental enrichment, behavior modification, husbandry change, and, where appropriate, pharmacological support. The field is closely linked to animal welfare science, ethology, and the recognition that psychological and physical health are interdependent, since untreated distress can impair immune function, reproduction, and recovery from illness. It also intersects with the human-animal bond and with the responsibilities of owners and caretakers to provide environments that meet behavioral needs. Sub-areas include clinical animal behavior, welfare assessment, stress physiology, and the behavioral management of species in clinical, shelter, working, and agricultural contexts. By addressing the mental as well as the physical dimensions of animal health, veterinary mental health supports comprehensive welfare and improved care outcomes.

Research published in this journal

6 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 6 articles above have been cited 37 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Veterinary Mental Health, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Veterinary Healthcare (ISSN 2575-1212).

Journal editorial board
Martin Svoboda · Czech Republic

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.