Expert Opinion: How Dogs Affect People's Mental Health
Domestic dogs primarily deliver positive emotions to their owners, but they also help them maintain good physical shape. Regular walks, games and activities with pets contribute to the training of the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and nervous systems of a person.
How dogs affect the emotional state of the owner
Contact with animals improves the psychological state of people, dogs feel the pain of a person, help to cope with conditions such as stress, anxiety, depression and fear - it is no coincidence that some clinics and airports keep emotional support dogs on their staff.
According to a study published in the Journal of Nursing Education, time spent with a dog reduces stress levels in nursing students.
Japanese scientists have found that when communicating with dogs, their owners' brains undergo the same chemical processes as during contact with loved ones - the hormone oxytocin is released in large quantities. It helps reduce stress and fear, increases empathy, and even improves digestion.
An active lifestyle of dog owners helps to quickly restore the psychological, mental state after trauma, loss of loved ones, stress or depression. This significantly reduces the risk of relapse.
Children who grow up in a home with dogs are less likely to have allergies in the future.
