Owning pets can improve your mental health

The pet is a blessing in disguise, and it is incredibly loved too. According to a “Harris” website poll, 95% of pet owners in the United States view their pet as a member of the family.

Some studies indicate health benefits enjoyed by some of those who own pets, their blood pressure measurements tend to be low, their heart rates decrease, and the risk of heart disease decreases, unlike those who do not own pets.

And these health benefits may come from additional exercise required to play and walk with that companion, according to what was published by the American "Time" magazine.

Scientists are now looking for evidence that animals could also help improve mental health, even for those with difficult mental disorders. Although the studies are limited, the benefits are impressive enough, because clinical settings open the doors for therapeutic intervention with the help of animals, in what they call "pet therapy," or in other words, these animals are used alongside traditional medicine.

"The greatest taboo was supposed to be thinking about just having an animal in the hospital," says Alan Beck, director of the Center for Human-Animal Connections at Purdue University, for fear of causing infection. "Now there isn't a big children's hospital that doesn't offer at least some kind of animal program," he adds.

And resorting to "pet therapy" has proven effective, because animals of many types can help calm tension, fear and anxiety in young children, the elderly, and even all age groups.

More research is needed before scientists can find out exactly the cause of this effect, and determine the amount of animal interaction required to achieve the best results, but studies published in this field show that animal feet have a place in medicine and in the well-being of the mind.

The following are some of the scientific results in this field:

Rabbits

In one study, a group of anxious adults were told that they should domesticate a pet such as a rabbit or a tortoise. The results were positive for the patients, regardless of whether or not they initially stated that they liked animals.

Cockroaches

Therapeutic animals do not have to be loved in order to get help. In a 2016 study published in the journal Gerontology, elderly people who were given 5 Cockroaches in a cage became less depressed after 8 weeks compared to another group. And it seems that taking charge of caring for a living creature, whatever it is, makes the difference.

The horses

Among the medicinal animals that have undergone many scientific studies, horses have participated in medical treatment plans in Europe since the 1960s. Activities such as grooming a horse and riding its back around the barn have shown a positive effect on reducing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children and teens.

Fish

Animals can grab people's attention, as it has been observed that a group of patients in an Alzheimer's treatment clinic ate ​​meals in front of the fishbowls of brightly colored fish, they ate more than usual, got better nutrition, and were also more attentive and less lazy.

Dogs

Some research indicates that when children with difficulty reading read aloud in the presence of a trained dog, they have fewer symptoms of anxiety and improve their skills.

the cats

A scientific study by the University of Minnesota found that the relative risk of dying from a heart attack was 40% higher for people who had never raised a cat. The study shows that 5.8% of those who do not own cats have died from a heart attack, compared to only 3.4% of cat owners.