Dogs are the furry, feel-good antidote to stress, anxiety, and a downbeat mood — an almost universal conclusion now confirmed by science.Spending time with our four-legged family members improves our mental health and well-being more than some other activities, Hannah Raila, Ph.D., co-author of a new study on human-animal relationships, told ADDitude.
The study, “The Influence of Interactions with Pet Dogs on Psychological Distress,” was published in the journal Emotion and involved 73 adults between the ages of 25 and 77 and their dogs.
1In a conversation with ADDitude, Raila discussed the research.Why did you decide to do this study? What were you hoping to learn?Human-animal interaction has always seemed promising for reducing distress, but many studies are correlational — they found that pet owners were happier without concluding cause and effect.
Read more on additudemag.com