THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PETS AND MENTAL HEALTH

I’m sure almost everyone has heard the notion that having a dog can “extend your life” or make you happier, but is that really true? And, if it is, why is that?

A short answer: Yes.

Psychologists at Purdue University have proven through extensive research that having a pet has many positive benefits.

Some of those benefits recorded in the study include:

• Lower stress hormones
• Lower blood pressure
• Increase in regular heart rate

Those are some of the physical benefits, and as you can guess, physical benefits help translate into mental benefits as well.

A lot of pets also keep their owners active, and that means more endorphins which will lead to a happier life.

Having a pet also means that you have a companion, which is important to a lot of people.

Pets are usually much easier to interact with than humans, and a lot of people take solace in that.

Not to mention the increasing industry of animal-based therapy.

Things like service dogs, horseback riding, and many other examples are often used as therapy methods to help someone on their mental health journey.

There are many other facets of this to explore, but the bottom line is it is certainly true that animals do indeed help with mental health, and the growing idea of that is something to involve yourself with and/or watch closely.