Children Therapy Archives | Therapy & Marriage Counseling

The Human-Animal Connection; it does a body (and brain) good!!

Studies have been done for years regarding the physical and mental health effects petting a dog has on humans. However, the realm of pet-assisted therapy is still in its infancy. As researchers learn how and why our bodies respond the way they do when we interact with dogs, the evidence will get more difficult to refute, and dogs may start to appear in more doctors and therapists’ offices.

In 1995, Erika Friedman at the University of Maryland Hospital conducted a study involving 392 people, which found that heart attack patients with dogs were eight times more likely to be alive a year later than people without dogs.
In 1999, the State University of New York at Buffalo conducted a study involving 24 stock brokers taking medication for high blood pressure. The researchers found that adding a dog or cat to the stock brokers’ lives helped stabilize and reduce their stress levels.
In 1999, Swedish researchers reported that children exposed to pets during the first year of life had fewer allergies and less asthma.
Recently, separate studies reported that walking a dog contributed to a person’s weight loss and that dog walking can be a catalyst for social interaction with other people, a benefit that can help improve our sense of well-being — or even help us meet a future spouse.

More recently, research conducted at the University of Missouri-Columbia suggests the hormonal changes that occur when humans and dogs interact could help people cope with depression and certain stress-related disorders. Preliminary results from a study show that a few minutes of stroking our pet dog prompts a release of a number of “feel good” hormones in humans, including serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin.

In addition, petting our dog results in decreased levels of the primary stress hormone cortisol, the adrenal chemical responsible for regulating appetite and cravings for carbohydrates. The study does state that getting a dog may not completely replace the need for anti-depressants altogether; however the combination of the two may be the most powerful.

And we can’t give all the credit to our four-legged friends…..

Just within the past week the results from the first study of its kind, reports that exposure to fish in an aquarium also has a influential effect on mood. Experts from the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth University and the University of Exeter assessed people’s physical and mental responses to tanks containing varying levels of fish. The team found that viewing aquarium displays led to noticeable reductions in blood pressure and heart rate, and that higher numbers of fish helped to hold people’s attention for longer and improve their moods.

Deborah Cracknell, PhD Student and Lead Researcher at the National Marine Aquarium, conducted the study and believes it provides an important first step in our understanding: “Fish tanks and displays are often associated with attempts at calming patients in doctors’ surgeries and dental waiting rooms. This study has, for the first time, provided robust evidence that ‘doses’ of exposure to underwater settings could actually have a positive impact on people’s wellbeing.”

If you are fortunate enough to have a dog or a home aquarium, you may already intuitively know these things that researchers are working diligently to empirically prove. However, if you do not have a furry or finned friend, perhaps this may give you incentive to consider an addition to your family.

It Starts At Home

In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day; a time dedicated to recognize and honor the contributions that women have made throughout the history of our country. It is also a time to be mindful of the strong female influences of today and a time to raise our collective consciousness about what we all can do to support women and girls in our society. President Obama was quoted in his State of the Union address last year, “A woman deserves equal pay for equal work.” It was one of the most loudly applauded lines of his speech. He went on to state, “Today, women make up about half our workforce, but they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns.” This year, President Obama included the need for paid maternity leave and high quality, affordable child care in addition to reiterating the need for equal pay for equal work.

A recent study by the Association of Psychological Sciences brings to light one small thing that can happen in our households that may assist us in knowing what to do on a family level to bring President Obama’s words to fruition, and make all the trailblazing women of history proud. The study suggests a correlation between households that not only “talk the talk about gender equality, but actually walk the walk.” Something as simple as daughters observing their father do the dishes and share other household chores demonstrates gender equality in the household. The article’s author is quoted saying, “This study is important because it suggests that achieving gender equality at home may be one way to inspire young women to set their sights on careers from which they have traditionally been excluded.” If we truly want to raise strong, independent daughters who aspire to be successful leaders in all different fields, it begins at home. This study shows us that it does not matter how much money we make, where we live, what our culture or beliefs are – but rather, we are able to demonstrate gender equality as a healthy household example from which to spring our daughters forward.

It has long been known that having fathers in our daughter’s lives has significant physical and mental health benefits, and now this study is giving us concrete actions to take above and beyond just “being” in their lives. The author of the article says it succinctly, “Despite our best efforts to create workplace equality, women remain severely under-represented in leadership and management positions. How fathers treat their domestic duties appears to play a unique gatekeeper role.” It is dependent on all of us to help our women and girls succeed. So, during this month of March let us all be more mindful of demonstrating gender equality wherever possible to improve the quality of life for the next generation of strong women leaders.