Jan 16, 2022 20:00:00

Findings that dogs contribute significantly to the mental health of their owners in the face of difficulties

In the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection, many experienced lifestyle changes such as refraining from going out or working from home. Previous

studies have shown that 'pets' well-being may have improved due to their owners spending more time at home,' but new studies have shown that 'pet presence also faced a pandemic.' It greatly contributed to the maintenance of the owner's mental health. '

Depression, anxiety, and happiness in dog owners and potential dog owners during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260676

Study reveals 3 mental-health benefits of dogs in a crisis
https://www.inverse.com/science/three-benefits-of-dogs

The great damage to the United States by the pandemic has caused major changes in life for people living in the United States, such as lockdowns and unemployment to prevent the spread of the infection. These effects are particularly psychologically burdensome, and as a result, ' one-third of Americans have suffered from depression and anxiety disorders .'

So, a research team led by Francis Martin, a scientist at pet food maker Nestlé Purina Research, said that the impact on mental health in the face of the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection is with dog owners. I did a study to find out how it differs from those who don't.

The survey was conducted in two separate online surveys, November 9-24, 2020 and February 18-22, 2021, with 768 dog owners and plans to have dogs in the future. It was conducted for a total of 1535 people, 767 people who did not own it yet. Participants' psychological states were evaluated on a four-point scale: 'depression tendency,' 'anxiety signs,' 'happiness,' and '

recognition of social support,' which were measured by six analytical methods.

The study found that dog owners had a lower score for depression propensity than non-dog owners, while their awareness of social support was significantly higher.

On the other hand, there was no significant difference in anxiety and happiness between the two groups as a whole, but when the recognition scores of social support were analyzed in three stages of 'low, medium and high', they were social. Dog owners are less anxious than non-dog owners when the support score is 'low / medium', and dog owners are also more happy when the support score is 'low / medium'. The result was that. In other words, whether or not you have a dog does not directly affect the anxiety and well-being of people who already have sufficient social connections, but it can alleviate the anxiety and improve happiness of people who have weak social connections. It can have important implications above.

Regarding this result, Martin said, 'This study may have a positive impact on the well-being of owners in the face of difficulties by providing social support to dogs and preventing them from being depressed. I suggest. As a dog lover, I think it's okay to say, 'Dog is good for people's happiness.'