The Covid pandemic left a lot of people feeling isolated and lonely. Unsurprisingly, during one of the scariest and most uncertain times in recent memory, many people turned to animals for comfort. At The Pavilion in Williamsburg, Virginia, we treat a variety of mental health concerns, and we have seen how much pets can help people feel better when facing struggles.
Benefits of Having a Pet
Depending on the type of pet, having an animal companion has been shown to provide several health benefits to pet owners:
- Unconditional love
- Reduced loneliness and isolation
- Decreased stress
- Improved heart health
- Better emotional regulation and social skills among children with pets
- Improved mood
Pets Help Us Develop Healthy Habits
Pets not only give us something to snuggle when we are sad, but they also help us to make better choices for our own well-being. For example:
- More physical activity from walking a dog is associated with better mental and physical health outcomes.
- Connecting with other people at a dog park or on a walk helps fulfill our social needs.
- Feeding and caring for any type of pet may be the reason we need to get out of bed, even if we’re feeling too depressed to do it for ourselves.
- Ensuring our pets are fed, groomed, walked, etc. gives us structure and routine.
- Crisis counselors at suicide hotlines are even trained to ask callers about pets because sometimes the attachment to an animal companion is enough to convince someone not to take their life and instead get professional support.
Animals Train Us to Be Better People
Not only do people often feel better after they spend time with animals, but they also can learn valuable lessons. Animals can teach us:
- How to love unconditionally
- How to be playful
- How to find joy in simple pleasures
- The responsibility of caring for another living being
- How to cope with loss
Things to Consider Before Getting a Pet
Pet ownership is a big responsibility, so it is important to consider the needs an animal might have before adding one to your home. You should think about:
- If you can give an animal adequate time and attention so that your pet does not become lonely or bored and engage in unwanted behaviors
- The potential cost of food, veterinary care, toys, a habitat, and boarding or a pet sitter if you need to leave your pet for an extended period of time
- If you have enough space for the animal to get exercise and play
- The lifespan of the pet you are considering and whether you will be able to care for it for its whole life
- Exercise needs of your pet and how well this will work with your home and lifestyle
Working Animals
Studies have also shown that interacting with animals in settings outside the home can be beneficial.
- Increasingly, animals are brought into nursing homes and hospitals to help patients feel less stressed and anxious.
- Schools sometimes bring dogs in to help children who are struggling with behavioral concerns.
- A study of university students who were considered at risk for failure found that spending time with a trained therapy dog for six weeks decreased their anxiety, improved their problem-solving skills and gave them more confidence. Another study of college students found that even a single session with therapy dogs significantly reduced stress levels and increased happiness and energy for up to 10 hours.
- Therapists sometimes utilize dogs in their sessions with patients to help them manage difficult feelings that arise from discussing painful experiences and build rapport.
- Some prisons have implemented programs that allow inmates to care for animals and have found that this generally results in inmates feeling better and having better behaviors.
- Service animals can be trained to support Veterans and other people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as they navigate panic attacks and nightmares, resulting in:
- A decrease in PTSD symptoms
- Lower levels of depression
- Increased life satisfaction and psychological well-being
- Less social isolation and improved ability to engage in social activities
- More resilience
At The Pavilion, we believe in a holistic approach to mental health treatment. We know that recovering from mental illness takes more than medication and therapy, and we encourage our patients to utilize the resources that make the most sense for them. For the adults and seniors we treat, this often includes spending time with animals.
