Taking care of your four-legged friend, and more specifically cuddling him, would be a “safe way to combat stress” and improve his well-being.
- Researchers measured the benefits of canine hugs on the mental health and well-being of more than 300 college students.
- The results show that lavishing caresses and hugs on the animal significantly increases well-being and contributes to reducing stress.
- The authors plead for the establishment of programs involving dogs with students, who have been subject to anxiety and isolation since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
Dog owners know it well: having a furry companion at home to keep them company gives them happiness at all times. According to a new study conducted by the University of British Columbia Okanagan, pampering them by giving them caresses and hugs would even contribute to psychological well-being by reducing stress.
Published in the journal Anthrozoosthis new work is based on an assessment of the mental state of 284 undergraduate students before and after their encounter with a dog in an assistance program.
“A number of studies have shown that dog-assisted interventions significantly improve participants’ well-being, but little research has been conducted on which interactions provide the greatest benefits, explains Dr. John-Tyler Binfet, lead author of the work. We know spending time with therapy dogs is beneficial, but we didn’t know why.”
A noticeable improvement in well-being
To better understand the influence of interactions with dogs on well-being, researchers randomly assigned participants to three groups: canine interaction, interaction with or without touch, meeting with a handler (without the therapy dog ).
They were then asked to rate their feelings: their perception of fulfillment, positive and negative affect, social connection, happiness, integration into the campus community, stress, homesickness and loneliness).
The results showed that all participants experienced an improvement in their well-being. However, only those who had direct contact with animals reported significant improvements across all measures of well-being, the authors note. “Furthermore, direct interactions with touch therapy dogs elicited greater welfare benefits than no touch/indirect interactions or handler-only interactions”continues Dr. Binfet.
Programs dedicated to students
For the specialist, these results show the importance of developing intervention programs with dogs, as well as mental health and well-being programs, especially in this period of pandemic which has caused loneliness and anxiety. anxiety in many students.
“As students potentially return to face-to-face classes on their campuses this fall and look for ways to manage their stress, I encourage them to take advantage of the therapy dog visitation program offered. And once there, don’t forget to take the time to give a canine hug. It’s a surefire way to reduce stress.”concludes Dr. Binfet.
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