House pets may help reduce stress levels.
Can owning a cat or a dog be construed as a positive thing? Most cat and dog owners tend to agree with the latter statement and, according to a couple of new studies, regarding human-animal bonding, a pet could also provide you with other advantages. Man’s best friend cam cure anxiety seems to be the conclusion of a study, conducted on children diagnosed with anxiety.
The study itself focused on determining if there is indeed a link between owning a house pet and decreased levels of anxiety. As a rather colloquial approach, the study could very well be put to rest if we exchange a few words with someone that either grew up in a household with pets or has just bought a furry companion. But scientific data is needed in order to establish if there is any truth in the statement.
In order to conduct this experiment, the researchers from Bassett Medical Center, had to come up with some rather rigorous methods of screening. Thus, the researchers chose a pattern of 643 children, with ages well above 18 months old. The pattern included children that have been diagnosed with anxiety and children without anxiety issues.
After initial screening that took into account a couple of criteria such as physical prowess and mental condition, the children were asked a series of questions regarding pet ownership. Result have been split into two groups. Initial result point out that only 58 percent of the interviewed children owed a house pet, and about 12 percent of them showed symptoms consistent with anxiety. As for the other group, the non-owners, about 21 percent of them showed signs of anxiety.
Lead researcher, Doctor Anne M. Gadomski, who is a also a senior researcher for the Bassett Medical Center and also a pediatrician, said that there could be significant data to be uncovered from the this study, although she could not say, conclusively, that there is indeed a link between animal bonding and decreased levels of anxiety or other health related issues.
Man’s best friend can cure anxiety and they could also help us burn away those extra pounds or mend our hearts after a breakup. Gadomski also mentioned a couple of things that might give her project a little more confidence. She declared that, in some cases, if a baby is born to a family that has a pet, the first word the baby would utter would be the pet’s name. Also, additional research points out that owning a house pet helps reduce cortisol level, via oxytocin release. This helps you wear out your daily stress.
However, additional research into the matter is necessary to see if the conclusion can be scientifically founded or if it is just another common belief.
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