Physical and Mental Responses to Pets

I’ve been distinctly in the mood to hug an animal recently. It’s partially from the ennui and malaise of being in this particular city in Peru, which is conservative and filled with people who feel it acceptable to mutter insults under their breath as they pass you on the street. Some days, Peru and I don’t get along as much.

But it reminds me of dorm living in university – I attended a school that required us to live on campus for all four years because sweet sweet money – when many people were away from their pets for the first time and emotionally struggling. The only places that had dogs or cats were the fraternities and themed houses, although we were allowed to have small animals in the dorms.

I’ve mentioned in one of my previous posts how looking into a dog’s eyes can increase oxytocin in the body – the happiness chemical, if you remember. I’ve also read in some of my personal psychological research that owning a pet can be really good for those with attachment disorders, or with disordered attachment. And, of course, we all know about how animals have begun to be used in therapy programs, and so on. It’s another topic to do research on, so of course I dove into research.

My personal theory is that those people who love animals are much more likely to have measurable physical and mental responses to them; I’ve seen it in my personal life a lot, such as when my friend with depression adopted a dog and it gave him a new will to live. There are plenty of Buzzfeed lists about times pets have cheered someone up, and usually looking at pictures of my dogs makes me feel better when I miss them.

And there is some science to back it up. A couple of older studies I found were more ambivalent on the effects of attachments with animals. This study, for example, as well as this one were both done in the 1980s, and found that people without many social supports experience benefits from relationships with animals when there are few other systems of social support available – particularly times of extreme stress or difficult changes. Apparently, the results of these studies are ambivalent for a few reasons. In one, the emotional positives of having a pet are impacted by the socioeconomic wellness of the individual, and the level of emotional attachment increased the benefits. However, these studies came to what I thought were weird conclusions, which was that loving your pet too much can cause alienation from other people, and can be a detriment to your social support.

I think it’s much more likely that persons who already feel alienated might attach more heavily to a pet, and that many people who already have mental health problems can build trust easier in a pet than in another person.

And, indeed, there are other, more recent, studies exploring some of the successes of animals being used in therapy, or in other settings.

This review went over a collection of studies about animals used in therapies, and while the results didn’t always show that including, say, dogs or horses in treatment had a positive effect every time, it is a promising study. The authors concluded that bonding with animals may have a significant impact on children with Autism or suffering from PTSD, that it can lessen aggression, and make dealing with pain easier, though the pain itself isn’t lessened.

Here’s another review pointing to the positives of working with animals. It repeats some of the same information I listed above, but has more to add. For example, it seems as though having an animal in classrooms allows children to engage more with lectures and learning materials, while having a dog at the office studies helped people stay more on task during work hours. One study also showed that having animals in jail contributed to a much safer environment – something I’ve heard anecdotally as well in my research into true crime and the legal system. This review also went into more detail into some of the physical gains of being around animals, such as lowered blood pressure. Additionally, people with animals seems to enjoy some social gains. Therapists with dogs were seen as more trustworthy, while people walking dogs in public were more likely to be friendly to strangers. Finally, children with pets at home (though I think this fact is from another study I read) are often more social and people want to come over more!

On top of this, more studies show how having pets in childhood can help people be more empathetic adults later in life. This study of Scottish children showed that children on the whole were empathetic to pets, and even more so if they took part in caring for them (such as feeding them, taking them on walks, playing with them). On the whole, having increased empathy towards pets meant the children would have more empathy to animals overall, and in a world where our climate is changing and half of all animals might not have enough habitat to sustain their species, this kind of empathy is not a bad thing.

Another interesting fact: women usually benefit more from these kinds of attachments, and often will give more to the pet in return. My personal belief is this partly stems from societal expectations, and how women in many cultures have been taught to anticipate others’ needs and place great value in relationships. This study in Pakistan describes some of the background work in deciphering the correlation between owning pets and increased empathy, with some extrapolation on the gender implications.

There are so many studies on this topic, and more. For example, there was one I’d love to read about animal support in the foster care system, which is not something we talk about enough in general. I’d love to read more about animals assisting with issues stemming from PTSD, and to check out more information about cultural differences and attachment.

I’ve written before about how things are changing in Peru. I’ve met more and more people who’ve rescued dogs from the street instead of purchasing one from a breeder. One friend of mine lets his dogs share his bed – very unusual for here. My friend who is a psychologist has started writing notes to verify emotional support dogs. A lot is changing in a short period of time, so we’ll have to see what’s next.

For everyone else out there, go home, give a pet or a treat to your beloved animals, and we will see you soon!