While many believe pet ownership leads to happiness, scientific studies have yielded mixed results. A new study conducted by Hannah Raila and Molly Ruiz suggests that even short interactions with dogs can have a positive impact on well-being. The study involved 73 dog owners who completed a stressful numerical task. Those who were then allowed 10 minutes of dog interaction showed a faster recovery from the stress compared to those who did not.
Yet most studies have found pet owners are not happier, less depressed, or less lonely than non-owners.
However, a new study found that 10 minutes of dog interaction improved the well-being of distressed owners.When one of my professors in grad school was excited about a new research paper he had read, he would sometimes say, “That study was so good, it made my teeth hurt!”?" Nearly every pet owner I know would say, “Of course! It’s just common sense.”on their owner’s mental health, common sense is often wrong. If pet dogs cheer us up, pet owners should be happier than non-owners.
The main results were striking. After just 10 minutes of interacting with their dogs, distressed owners in the treatment group showed substantial increases in their emotional well-being scores. This improvement was not found in the adult coloring book group or the wait-alone group. Declines in stress scores further confirmed the effectiveness of canine companionship in alleviating distress.
Do these results mean that obtaining a dog will make you happier or less lonely? No. The study focused only on the immediate short-term positive effects of interacting with pets. Indeed the researchers wrote, “Conclusions cannot be drawn from this study about whether dogs would improve people’s mental health overall.”
I hope this research team continues this line of research. I am looking forward to more studies that make my teeth hurt.Matijczak, A., Yates, M. S., Ruiz, M. C., Santos, L. R., Kazdin, A. E., & Raila, H. . The influence of interactions with pet dogs on psychological distress.When we fall prey to perfectionism, we think we’re honorably aspiring to be our very best, but often we’re really just setting ourselves up for failure, as perfection is impossible and its pursuit inevitably backfires.
PET OWNERSHIP MENTAL HEALTH WELL-BEING DOG INTERACTION STRESS RELIEF
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