Benefits of therapy dogs
Therapy Animals and Benefits to Mental Health.
In support of Mental Health Awareness Week we examine the benefits that therapy dogs (and other animals) can bring to clients.
Anyone who has ever owned a pet can confirm that they impact our mental wellbeing. It may be that the new puppy has chewed the sofa, or the adolescent dog won't recall and short term stress is experienced, but more often than not, our pets are beneficial to our mental health. But is this the same for therapy animals? Animals who clients might see for only an hour a week. Can these short interactions really benefit the client?
Research carried out in 2022 identified that interacting with a dog for only ten minutes produced changes in the brain, in particular the prefrontal cortex, the area believed to be responsible for social processing, understanding self and understanding others. These findings support existing research that interactions with animals can lower a person’s blood pressure, heart rate and the levels of the stress related hormone, cortisol. A 2015 study found that simply looking into dogs eyes for 5 minutes caused the release of the hormone oxytocin, the hormone involved in bonding and recently linked to depression and anxiety.
The fact that benefits to the brain and body can be seen in as little as five minutes means that the average 60 minute animal assisted therapy session provides adequate time for physiological changes to take place. During the session clients may gaze at, stroke, interact with, play and even train the animal allowing plenty of opportunity for the beneficial effects to take place.
But animal assisted therapy is more than hormone changes, it’s about forming connections, building positive relationships and social skills, reducing isolation, developing empathy and gaining confidence all of which can be difficult to measure scientifically. However, in 2018 researchers at Ryerson University, Canada reviewed the existing research on the benefits of animals, including studies where subjects had self-reported their stress and anxiety levels both before and after interactions with animals. The research paper concludes that the use of therapy animals does lower anxiety levels and stress levels.
The short term changes to a person's physiology as a result of interactions with dogs’ work in tandem with the long term effects on a person’s mental health and behaviour when regular animal assisted therapy sessions take place. Over a number of sessions, clients build on the relationship with the therapy animal to achieve therapeutic outcomes such as reduced social anxiety, confidence building and emotional regulation.
Animal assisted therapy is one tool to help people through difficult times, but there are a range of specialist support organisations for people experiencing mental health problems, many of which are available 24 hours a day. If help is needed urgently organisations such as Mind, Young Minds and the Samaritans can offer support.
If you feel animal assisted therapy would be of benefit to you or someone you know contact us on vicky@animalfocused.co.uk.
