How human-animal connections promote “mattering” among veterans living with syndemic pain and suicidality

Abstract Background : Veterans living with syndemic pain often experience intersecting physical, psychological, and social challenges that can include post-traumatic stress disorder, isolation, and a diminished sense of purpose. While service dogs are increasingly recognized for their functional and psychosocial benefits for Veterans, the relational mechanisms underlying these benefits remain underexplored. Methods : This qualitative, exploratory study examines the concept of mattering as a lens for better understanding the social significance of veteran–service dog partnerships. Drawing on 28 in-depth interviews conducted with four of Canadian military Veterans living with syndemic pain working alongside a service dog, this secondary analysis utilizing thematic coding observes how experiences of mattering can exist through a human-animal connection. Results : Findings suggest that mattering can be experienced within a human-canine relationship, with this sense of mattering assisting to mediate aspects of syndemic pain by supporting emotional regulation, social engagement, and daily functioning. Further, it assists with countering experiences of isolation and anti-mattering reported by Veterans, which can contribute to suicidality, following the end of active service. By demonstrating that mattering can extend beyond human-human relationships, this work offers the first study conducted to provide empirical evidence of mattering’s presence within a human-animal connection. However, future studies are needed as a sense of mutuality and bidirectionality is suggested in the findings, which should be explored further. Conclusions : These findings contribute to human-animal interaction scholarship by introducing mattering as a novel conceptual and analytic framework for assessing relational outcomes of service dog partnerships. Implications are discussed for veteran support programs, pain management, and suicide prevention initiatives, emphasizing the importance of centering relational and psychosocial outcomes in service dog research and practice.