From crisis to care: How social determinants of health shape companion-animal guardianship outcomes – A qualitative study

Abstract Background : Companion animals are often vital sources of emotional and psychological stability, particularly for individuals facing systemic disadvantage. Yet, the ability to maintain these bonds is frequently challenged by socioeconomic and health-related crises. Understanding how people navigate these pressures, and the role of charitable interventions, is essential to inform inclusive health and welfare policy. Methods : Guided by the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 Australian participants who had accessed support from human and animal charitable services. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify patterns and relationships within participant narratives, focusing on how structural conditions shaped their capacity to care for companion animals. Results : A total of 11 interrelated themes were identified, highlighting how financial insecurity, housing instability, limited access to health care, and trauma intersect to influence animal care capacity. Participants described their companion animals as emotional “lifelines” during periods of grief, mental illness, and chronic hardship. However, maintaining these relationships often carried a cumulative emotional toll due to systemic neglect and inadequate safety nets. Charitable supports that recognized the significance of the human-animal relationship were described not only as practical lifelines but as sources of dignity, validation and emotional stability. Conclusions : Findings underscore the urgent need for health and social policy frameworks that integrate companion animals into conceptions of human wellbeing. Embedding consideration of animals within public health discourse through an SDH lens enables a more relational understanding of resilience and recovery, one that recognizes animals not as peripheral, but as integral to household stability and social inclusion.