PAIN IN ANIMALS

A.V. Cirillo¹, L. Abagnale², A. Ascione³ | ¹Assimefac, National Scientific Society of Family and Community Medicine; ²Former Director of the Prevention Department of the Veterinary Operating Unit, ASL Salerno; ³Anima Iris Integrated Consultation in Clinical Psychology, Pompei

Psychic pain represents a fundamental component of human suffering, frequently associated with experiences of loss, trauma, and depression. The traditional division between physical and psychic pain is being increasingly questioned by recent findings in neuroscience showing substantial overlap in the brain circuits involved in both forms of suffering. Pain is now understood as a multidimensional experience, encompassing both sensory and emotional elements. This paper aims to integrate current neuroscience and psychodynamic perspectives on human psychic pain with evidence of affective pain in animals, proposing a unified framework for understanding and treating pain across species. A narrative review of the literature was conducted, focusing on the neurobiological foundations of psychic pain in humans, emotional suffering in animals, the role of attachment and loss in social species, and the clinical implications for chronic pain treatment. The analysis highlights that emotional and physical pain activate overlapping brain regions, including areas involved in affect regulation and threat response. Social exclusion, grief, and emotional trauma engage neural networks similar to those activated by physical injury, suggesting a shared neurofunctional architecture. In non-human animals, particularly socially complex species such as primates, elephants, canines, and cetaceans, behavioral and physiological responses to separation and loss mirror human patterns of distress. These include vocalizations, withdrawal, reduced activity, and hormonal imbalances. Even in controlled environments, some animals exhibit signs of learned helplessness and emotional dysregulation. Emerging evidence also points to the capacity for suffering in certain invertebrates, indicating a broader evolutionary distribution of affective experiences. Clinically, psychic pain has a significant impact on the perception and persistence of physical pain in humans, as observed in chronic pain conditions. In veterinary practice, increasing recognition of emotional distress in animals has led to improvements in care protocols, incorporating emotional support and environmental enrichment with beneficial clinical outcomes. This convergence between human psychic pain and animal emotional suffering calls for a rethinking of diagnostic categories and therapeutic approaches. Suffering appears to be a biologically grounded, cross-species phenomenon, not unique to humans. A trans-species perspective on pain, combining neurobiological and psychodynamic approaches, can enhance our understanding of subjective suffering and promote more compassionate and effective interventions, both in human medicine and animal care. Indeed, the aim of this work is to explore the homologies between human psychic pain and affective pain in animals, considering the most recent findings in neuroscience, psychodynamic, and modern ethology. In conclusion, psychic pain should be interpreted within a broader evolutionary and affective continuum that includes other sentient species. Recognizing this continuity opens new pathways for ethical reflection, clinical innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Psychic pain is a clinically relevant dimension that is often underestimated compared to somatic pain. The future of pain management lies in an integrated approach that is scientifically grounded, ethically responsible, and emotionally attuned to the shared vulnerability that connects humans with other animals.