One Health

Mental health is an essential part of overall health-for people, families, and communities. From a One Health perspective, mental well-being is interconnected with physical health, social environments, and even our relationships with animals. Yet stigma, misinformation, and unequal access to care continue to prevent many from getting the support they need.

This month is an opportunity to focus on education, awareness, and action.

Why it matters

Mental health conditions such as Depression and Anxiety disorders are common and treatable, but many individuals delay or avoid care due to stigma or lack of reliable information. Mental health also affects workplace productivity, family stability, community safety, and physical health outcomes.

From a One Health lens:

• Human mental health can be influenced by environmental stressors, disasters, and social inequities

• Animal companionship can support emotional well-being and reduce stress

• Veterinary and healthcare professionals themselves face elevated mental health risks, highlighting the need for systemic support across professions

Reducing stigma starts with education

Accurate, accessible information helps replace myths with facts and encourages informed decision-making. These evidence-based resources are a good place to start:

• National Institute of Mental Health
  https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
  https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health

• World Health Organization
  https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health

• Mental Health America
  https://mhanational.org

What you can do

• Promote mental health literacy in our workplaces and communities

• Encourage help-seeking behaviors and normalize conversations about mental health

• Support interdisciplinary collaboration across human health, animal health, and social services

• Advocate for equitable access to mental health care and resources

Mental Health Awareness Month is not just about recognition-it's about building systems and communities where mental health is understood, supported, and prioritized without bias.

Call to Action:
Take a moment this month to learn, share a resource, or start a conversation. Whether you are a clinician, veterinarian, social worker, public health professional, or community member, you play a role in advancing mental well-being as part of One Health.

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T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Center for Pet Family Well-Being
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month - and this conversation must include both ends of the leash.

Mental health does not exist in isolation. For millions of people, emotional well-being is deeply connected to the presence of a pet-offering routine, purpose, stability, and unconditional support. At the same time, pets depend entirely on their humans for care, safety, and stability. When one struggles, both are affected.

From a One Health perspective, this is not symbolic-it is structural.

Across the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), we see how mental health challenges can directly impact both human and pet well-being:

• Economic Stability: Financial stress can delay or prevent access to both mental health care and veterinary care

• Healthcare Access & Quality: Gaps in services often fail to account for the human-animal bond

• Housing & Stability: Pet restrictions can force impossible decisions during times of crisis

• Social & Community Context: Isolation affects both people and their pets-sometimes in parallel

And the inverse is also true:

• Pets can reduce anxiety, depression, and loneliness

• They support routine and emotional regulation

• They provide a sense of connection that is often protective during times of crisis

But we also need to be honest about the other side:
Veterinary professionals, animal welfare staff, and even pet owners themselves experience high rates of compassion fatigue, burnout, and moral distress. Caring deeply-for both people and animals-comes with real emotional cost.

So what does a One Health response look like?

It means building systems that recognize:

• Supporting a person's mental health includes supporting their ability to care for their pet

• Access to veterinary care is a mental health issue

• Pet-inclusive policies in housing, healthcare, and crisis response are not optional-they are essential

• The well-being of those working in animal care must be prioritized, not overlooked

If we want healthier communities, we must design systems that care for the whole family-person, pet, and environment-together.

If you or someone you know is struggling:

• The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988)

• Not One More Vet (NOMV) offers peer support and mental health resources specifically for veterinary professionals

Mental health is One Health.
And when we support one, we must support both.

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T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Center for Pet Family Well-Being
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As Mental Health Awareness Month continues, it is important to recognize the meaningful role pets can play in emotional well-being and daily life. The human-animal bond is connected to increased physical activity, healthier routines, stress reduction, social connection, mindfulness, and companionship.

For many individuals and families, pets are not just companions - they are sources of comfort, stability, purpose, and connection during difficult times. Supporting mental health through a One Health approach means recognizing the interconnected well-being of people, pets, and the environments they share.

Research continues to show that interactions with companion animals may help reduce stress, ease anxiety, encourage movement and routine, and strengthen social support systems for both humans and pets.

Additional mental health resources:
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• Not One More Vet (NOMV)
• CDC – Mental Health and Well-Being

 

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T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Center for Pet Family Well-Being
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-05-2026 07:39 AM
From: T' Fisher
Subject: May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month - and this conversation must include both ends of the leash.

Mental health does not exist in isolation. For millions of people, emotional well-being is deeply connected to the presence of a pet-offering routine, purpose, stability, and unconditional support. At the same time, pets depend entirely on their humans for care, safety, and stability. When one struggles, both are affected.

From a One Health perspective, this is not symbolic-it is structural.

Across the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), we see how mental health challenges can directly impact both human and pet well-being:

• Economic Stability: Financial stress can delay or prevent access to both mental health care and veterinary care

• Healthcare Access & Quality: Gaps in services often fail to account for the human-animal bond

• Housing & Stability: Pet restrictions can force impossible decisions during times of crisis

• Social & Community Context: Isolation affects both people and their pets-sometimes in parallel

And the inverse is also true:

• Pets can reduce anxiety, depression, and loneliness

• They support routine and emotional regulation

• They provide a sense of connection that is often protective during times of crisis

But we also need to be honest about the other side:
Veterinary professionals, animal welfare staff, and even pet owners themselves experience high rates of compassion fatigue, burnout, and moral distress. Caring deeply-for both people and animals-comes with real emotional cost.

So what does a One Health response look like?

It means building systems that recognize:

• Supporting a person's mental health includes supporting their ability to care for their pet

• Access to veterinary care is a mental health issue

• Pet-inclusive policies in housing, healthcare, and crisis response are not optional-they are essential

• The well-being of those working in animal care must be prioritized, not overlooked

If we want healthier communities, we must design systems that care for the whole family-person, pet, and environment-together.

If you or someone you know is struggling:

• The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988)

• Not One More Vet (NOMV) offers peer support and mental health resources specifically for veterinary professionals

Mental health is One Health.
And when we support one, we must support both.

------------------------------
T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Center for Pet Family Well-Being
------------------------------

Mental health challenges and substance use disorders continue to affect service members, veterans, and their families at significant rates — and understanding these issues through a gender-informed and trauma-informed lens is critical.

This upcoming webinar hosted by the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) and the Uniformed Services University Military Women’s Health Research Program highlights important research examining adjustment disorders, sexual trauma, suicide risk, and overdose among women in military and veteran populations.

These conversations matter not only for individual health outcomes, but for families, social support systems, and community well-being. From a One Health perspective, mental health impacts every part of a household — including relationships, caregiving capacity, housing stability, social connection, and the human-animal bond. For many veterans and military families, pets can provide emotional support, routine, companionship, and connection during periods of stress, trauma recovery, and reintegration.

We encourage continued collaboration between mental health professionals, public health leaders, social workers, medical providers, veterinary professionals, and community organizations to strengthen support systems for military families and their pets.

Webinar information:
ORWH Military Women’s Health Webinar Registration

Additional resources:
• VA Mental Health Services
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• Pets for Patriots

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T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Center for Pet Family Well-Being
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