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1. Introduction

2. Literature Review

3. Helping to Raise Mental Health

4. Motivation in Students

5. The Effect on Service Animals

6. Proven by studies

7. Conclusion

8. References

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During the past few years, there has been a rise in the number of emotional support animals (ESAs) on college campuses. These animals are registered, with a doctor's letter, to be allowed in buildings such as residence halls and apartments. ESAs have been shown as beneficial for student's mental health and motivation levels through different types of research. Uplifted mental health and motivation allows students to focus on their schooling and social lives while on campus. Students may face several difficulties when transitioning into college life so allowing them to bring their ESAs with them may make it all that much easier for students to settle into their new lives.

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Introduction:

Through my research on the effects of emotional support animals, I have learned that there are several benefits of having an animal close. These benefits can be emotional, social, or physical for a person. Many of the sources that I read through commonly mentioned lowered stress and anxiety as benefits regarding emotional support animals. This literature review will focus on the effects, ways of showing support, and benefits of college students having an emotional support animal with them.

The Effects of an Emotional Support Animal:

The first topic of my research was about the effects of emotional support animals on college students. Through all ten sources that were found, each of them answered in a similar fashion to each other. Goodman-Wilson (2021) says students have talked about how their ESA’s have motivated them to get up in the morning. Similarly, Curl (2023), says a student talked about needing more pet food and, in the process, bought groceries for themselves. Both sources talked about how students’ emotional support animals have helped with motivation to take care of themselves.

How Emotional Support Animals Support Students:

The second topic of my research was about how animals support their owners. Several of the articles, including Curl (2023) and Foster (2020), talk about how students have acknowledged that their ESA’s have supported them socially while on campus. ESAs work as a support system for people that may have difficulties socializing with others around them. While walking a dog or a cat is a talking point for others, having an ESA may also bring together other student pet owners, allowing them to find a community that they can fit themselves into.

The Benefits of Emotional Support Animals:

The third, and final, burning question asked about why emotional support animals are or are not beneficial. Many of the sources answered about the benefits. Kirnan (2024) described the physiological benefits of animals. These benefits include reduced heart rate and blood pressure in students. On the other hand, Goodman-Wilson (2024) talked about the potential harm of having an untrained animal despite the therapeutic benefits. There are several benefits from having an animal nearby, whether its yours or somebody else’s. Many of these benefits are physiological such as the decreased heart rate but there are also psychological effects such as lowered depression and anxiety. These two parts of mental health can be dangerous for students to face while they are studying so ESAs are an available source for them.

Conclusion:

Reading through each of these sources, it has shown that ESAs are a valuable resource for students that may be struggling with low mental health and motivation to take care of themselves. While many of the articles had similar answers to the topics, there were different types of research put into each one, leading there to be several ways to explain the effects and benefits that these animals have on college students.

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Photo Credit: Emily Huynh. Emily with her ESA Mochi

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During college, student's mental health can drop due to several reasons including stress, anxiety, and depression. One solution that has been found is allowing students to bring their emotional support animals with them on campus. Foster (2020) says there has been a rise in students using ESAs to help against the effects of depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety can be draining and dangerous for students during the school year. Students have begun to recognize that their animals can help prevent drops in mental health. According to Adams (2017), students can experience stress and anxiety from being away from their pets that they have back home. Moving to college is a large step as well as a brand-new experience for most students, which can cause it to be difficult to settle. There are challenges such as homesickness that can cause students to lose focus on classes and studying. By allowing students to bring their animals, whom they have built a bond with, to a college campus can help raise their mental health levels and prevent severe drops.

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A large aspect of working through college is motivation. Whether it be mentally or socially, motivation levels are in a constant state of change, rising and falling every minute. Curl (2023) says there are direct effects from ESAs and indirect effects. The example used for a direct effect was that an ESA cat would meow and refuse to eat unless their owner was also eating. The indirect effect was described as the ESA owner running out of pet food and when buying more, they also bought themselves groceries. Both the direct and indirect effects helped to raise the student's motivation to take care of not only their animals, but also themselves. Similarly, Kirnan (2024) discusses students regaining their motivation to get themselves up in the morning because of their ESAs. One student mentioned their realization that if they are not around, there would be no one to take care of their animal. This connects back to the direct effect that ESAs will have on their owners. By realizing that they need to be around, the student may lose the idea that they have nothing to stay for. By allowing students to bring their ESAs with them on campus, it gives them something to care for and leads to students taking care of themselves as well. When students' motivation levels are raised, they might no longer feel as if they are drowning in assignments or life once they have something to care about.

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With emotional support animals becoming more common, there are some concerns pertaining service animals. Service, or working, animals are animals that have been trained for a specific job. Von Bergen (2015) describes service animals as dogs that are trained to complete a job or tasks for people with disabilities. Service animals are, legally, allowed in all campus buildings, both residential and recreational. The DOJ has defined service animals as dogs and miniature horses only. This definition has brought up concerns about ESAs being able to support their owner if they are not a dog or specifically trained. Kogan (2016) says there are several service animal owners that are concerned about their credibility. There have been speculations that the title ESA is an excuse for an owner to bring their animal anywhere they wish. Due to these speculations, service animal owners may be questioned more often about their working dogs, despite those animals being trained for their job. Another concern mentioned is that of an untrained animal. Goodman-Wilson (2021) says the extent of which an untrained animal is capable of is uncertain. While ESAs have been shown to be beneficial and supportive for their owners, most are untrained. These animals do not have specific training to help with severe mental health drops other than staying with their owner. The uncertainty could prove to be dangerous or later disproven, however, it is unknown.

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Order includes Free: ESA Fastpass® ID & Televet Services

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Many of the concerns regarding ESAs are about them being untrained for the specific job or tasks of supporting their owner. While the concerns are valid, there have been studies done that show how being near an animal can help students who are struggling, despite the animal's training. Kirnan (2024) discusses a study that was done on interactions between students and animals. The study showed that limited interactions with animals, such as petting them, had physiological benefits including reduced heart rate and blood pressure. Despite these animals not having the specific training of service animals, there were several benefits for even the small action of petting. Foster (2020) says students experienced reaching counseling goals quicker, decreased loneliness, and lowered stress hormones. Students who have any animal with them have experienced many uplifting benefits for themselves and others around them. The other concern that was discussed is about ESAs not being only dogs as service animals are. Dogs have been chosen as service animals due to their heightened senses and their bonds with humans. However, through the years, cats and other animals have been growing in popularity as a comfort animal. These animals becoming registered as ESAs more often, may give a chance for cats and other domestic animals to become recognized as suitable working animals.

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Emotional support animals have become a popular resource for students struggling with low mental health and motivation levels. There have been several positive effects and benefits that these animals have offered to students, most of them proven through several studies. While most ESAs are not trained service animals, they still have a way of supporting those that need it. College students may not know that there is availability to bring their animals with them due to conflicting ideas. Campuses could be more outspoken about allowing ESAs in residential buildings without students needing to dig around or ask other students around them.

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Adams, A. C., Sharkin, B. S., & Bottinelli, J. J. (2017). The Role of Pets in the Lives of College Students: Implications for College Counselors. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 31(4), 306–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2017.1299601

Curl, A. L., Brottman, B., & Kunkel, M. C. (2023). Emotional Support Animals in College and University Housing. The Journal of College and University Student Housing, 49(2), 86-.

Foster, H. A., Robinson, C. L., Thomas, J. W., & Knight-Crenshaw, L. (2020). Emotional support animals: How to accommodate all students. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 23(4), 127-138. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555458920941557

Goodman-Wilson, M., & Highfill, L. (2021). Faculty and Student Perceptions of the Presence of Emotional Support Animals on a College Campus. Society & Animals : Social Scientific Studies of the Human Experience of Other Animals., 29(5–6), 500–516. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-00001759

Kirnan, J. P., Shapiro, A. R., Mistretta, A. J., Sellet, M., Fotinos, G., & Blair, B. (2024). Emotional support animals supporting college students’ mental health and well-being: A qualitative analysis exploring practices, policies, and perceptions. Journal of American College Health, 72(6), 1864–1875. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2095871

Kogan, L. R., Schaefer, K., Erdman, P., & Schoenfeld-Tacher, R. (2016). University Counseling Centers’ Perceptions and Experiences Pertaining to Emotional Support Animals. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 30(4), 268–283. https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2016.1219612

Von Bergen, C. W. (2015). Emotional Support Animals, Service Animals, and Pets on Campus. Administrative Issues Journal : Education, Practice, and Research, 5(1), 15-. https://doi.org/10.5929/2015.5.1.3