“A safe method to reduce stress”: They confirm that hugging a dog helps improve mental well-being

By: MRT Desk

Published on:

"Un método seguro para reducir estrés": Confirman que abrazar a un perro ayuda a mejorar el bienestar mental

Scientists have confirmed that physical contact with a therapy dog ​​significantly improves people’s well-being, according to a recent study published in the scientific journal Taylor & Francis Online.

“We know that spending time with therapy dogs is beneficial, but we didn’t know why “, admits John-Tyler Binfet, the lead author of the study.

In their study, scientists from the University of British Columbia (Canada) documented the interactions of 284 students degree with therapy dogs. The participants were divided into three groups according to the type of treatment they received throughout the study: interaction with dogs with or without physical contact, or interaction with the dog handler without the presence of the dog.

In this way, they discovered that physical contact with dogs reduced stress better than any other type of treatmentas revealed by self-reports, based on the factors of well-being, prosperity, negative and positive effects, social connection, happiness, integration into the campus community, stress, homesickness and loneliness.

“When students potentially return to face-to-face classes on their college campuses this fall and seek ways to contain stress, I would encourage them to take advantage of the dog-visitation program offered,” Binfet said. “It’s a safe method to reduce stress“,. emphasizes.

Article Source