A beacon of hope for tourists with anxiety and depression: Receiving support from animal friends

Although scholars have recently highlighted the psychotherapeutic effects of tourism, these remain underexplored in individuals with anxiety and depression. To address this research gap, a mixed-methods study integrating a field experiment based on a pretest–posttest and randomised controlled trial design with semi-structured interviews was conducted to examine the effects of animal-based tourism. The quantitative results reveal that animal-based tourism had both immediate and enduring impacts on the self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression of people with anxiety and depression. Several potential psychological mechanisms were examined, but only perceived social support mediated the effect of animal-based tourism on subsequent anxiety reduction, and this indirect effect was observed only among participants who engaged in low-level human–animal interactions. The qualitative findings provide deeper insights into the identified relationships, highlighting potential mechanisms such as novelty, stress relief, authenticity, and a sense of coherence. Overall, the findings provide evidence for the psychotherapeutic potential of animal-based tourism and clarify important boundary conditions in its underlying mechanisms.