The impact of pets on mental health
by Natasha Christou Digital Marketing ConsultantThe UK’s a nation of animal lovers, right? Research has
discovered that almost 50% of the British homes have a pet, with just over 1 in
4 owning a dog, and nearly 1 in 5 owning a cat. ‘Why?’ you ask. Well, a
whopping 90% of pet owners have confirmed that having an animal at home makes
them happy while 88% also state that it improves their overall quality of life.
In this interesting guide, we explore as to why this may be
the reason:
COMBAT DEPRESSION
Animals can provide love and comfort – both of which you
often feel are without if you’re depressed. By owning a pet, you can feel like
you have a sense of worth. This is because you will have a regular schedule,
knowing that it’s up to you to feed and work your pet, giving you a sense of
purpose and a routine.
Taking your pet for a walk also contributes to physical
activity, which can consequently help in combating depression. However, you
must make sure that you are financially stable, otherwise having another living
being dependent on your income may lead to unnecessary stress.
PROVIDE COMPANIONSHIP
Being lonely is one of the biggest issue that Britain faces.
According to figures, most people will feel lonely at some point in their lives
and currently 1.9 million older people in the UK feel ignored or invisible.
Loneliness is said to be as harmful to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a
day. To combat this, many care homes are bringing animals in for sessions to
help stimulate conversation between residents. One Reading care home has veered
away from the usual dog and cat offering and brought alpacas in as part of
their therapy and enriching activities.
CALMING PRESENCE
Often in life, whatever you’re doing, you need to just take
a step back and relax. Certain educational establishments have noticed this and
have started bringing dogs in around exam season. Newcastle College’s Ofsted report
praised the student support facility by recognising methods to optimise the
learning environment.
Researchers suggest that those students who play with dogs
enjoy increased happiness levels, while their level of stress plunges,
sometimes for up to 10 hours! The idea behind the concept is that students are
allowed to pet, cuddle and chat to the animals. Researchers discovered that
this activity enabled students’ stress levels to drop by 45%, meaning that,
they were more relaxed during the stress of exam season.
AUTISM
People with autism frequently struggle with sensory issues.
Animals such as dogs and horses can help those with autism get used to how
something smells, sounds or feels. It’s believed that children who have autism
find working with animals a calming experience and it can help increase their
desire and ability to connect with others in a social environment.
PETS AND CHILDREN WITH ADHD
It isn’t just adults that whose mental state of mind can be
helped by animals. Studies have found that children with ADHD can also benefit
from having a pet. This is due to them taking on the duties to look after the
animal and thus learning how to plan and be responsible.
Like how owning a pet can assist in fighting depression, the
physical exercise aspect needed for most pets can enable your child to burn off
excessive energy, allowing them to become calmer as the day progresses.
Sometimes, kids with ADHD struggle to communicate and animals can be great
listeners, helping children air their issues while aiding their
self-confidence.
Obviously, not everyone loves animals but the stats clearly
show that animals can certainly be a human’s best friend in more ways than one!
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Created on Apr 1st 2020 11:05. Viewed 322 times.