THE POWER OF PETS
1st § Research on human-animal interactions is still relatively new, but they have already
shown positive health effects. Interacting with animals has proved to decrease levels
of cortisol – a stress-related hormone – and lower blood pressure. Other than that,
pets may also decrease stress, improve heart health, and even help children with
their emotional and social skills.
2nd § Dogs are sometimes brought into hospitals or nursing homes to help reduce patients’
stress and anxiety. “They are very present. If someone is struggling with something,
they know how to sit there and be loving,” says Dr. Ann Berger, a physician and
researcher at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. “Their attention is
focused on the person all the time.”
3rd §Berger works with people who have cancer and terminal illnesses. She teaches them
about mindfulness to help decrease stress and manage pain. “The foundations of
mindfulness include attention, intention, compassion, and awareness,” Berger says.
“All of those are things that animals bring to the table. People kind of have to learn it.
Animals do this innately.”
4th § “There’s not one single answer about how a pet can help somebody with a specific
condition,” explains Dr. Layla Esposito, who oversees NIH’s Human-Animal
Interaction Research Program. NIH is funding large-scale surveys to find out the
range of pets people live with and how their relationships with their pets relate to
health. “We’re trying to tap into the subjective quality of the relationship with the
animal – that part of the bond that people feel with animals – and how that translates
into some of the health benefits,” explains Dr. James Griffin, a child development
expert at NIH.
Adapted from: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov. Accessed 20 April 2022.
The article talks about the positive effects of the human-animal bond on health.
The conclusion is that although much has been evidenced,
