[Animals] To what extent is it true that pets make us happier?

[FNX Magokiler]

It has long been said that the dog is man's best friend. It is an assessment that is usually based on the dog's behavior: his loyalty, love and desire to please. Pet owners like Sharon Reid of Grand Rapids, Michigan, say they've experienced that devotion firsthand: "After my husband died, my dog was the most reliable constant in my life to help me through difficult times." months that followed."

Among the most widely understood and accepted health benefits of pet ownership are that they provide better strategies for coping with stress, can foster greater empathy and compassion, and that their companionship "can protect people from the ravages of loneliness," says Alan Beck, professor of animal ecology and director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University in Indiana (United States).

These benefits are reflected in a recent American Psychiatric Association survey, which revealed that 86% of owners feel their pets have a mostly positive impact on their mental health; and that around 90% consider the animal as another member of the family.

But understanding the extent to which pets contribute to the mental health and well-being of their owners is the subject of some debate among scholars. Although most academics agree that certain benefits are well established, others may not be as rooted in scientific evidence as some believe.

(Related: Domestic dog: essential facts about man's best friend)

Better cardiovascular and mental health thanks to pets

 

One of the demonstrated benefits is that the interaction between pet and owner can improve quality of life. Research shows that playing with a dog can improve mood, that reading to a pet can help children with learning disabilities, that pets can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their owners, and that Owning a pet can increase physical activity levels, according to the American Heart Association.

In fact, Reid says that walking her Australian shepherd is sometimes the only time she spends exercising. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that physical exercise with pets can "reduce blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels."

There is also broad consensus about the mental health benefits that come from frequently connecting with another living being.

"Having a non-judgmental confidant can serve to buffer the effects of stress on physical and psychological health," explains Nancy Gee, professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University (United States).

Animals can also improve their owners' academic performance. "In two different studies (one with children ages six to eight and another with college students), interacting with a dog increased executive functioning, which is a set of processes that allow us to plan and stay on task," Gee says.

(Related: Yes, Dogs 'Get' Their Owners' Emotions)

 

https://www.nationalgeographic.es/ciencia/2023/09/mascotas-ayudan-felicidad-duenos-verdad