Pets can help people struggling with stress: study
Study authors also explain that unhealthy attachments to pets can be a sign of poorer mental health
Yet another study has shown that keeping a pet can help people remain calm and cope better with stress.
According to a study by researchers at Kingston University, those who deal with stressful situations more than others can benefit from pets.
However, the authors noted that having a pet is not always ideal and in some cases, where a person gives more importance to pets than human friends, pet parenthood might add to loneliness and isolation from society.
A psychology student Ece Beren Barklam analysed whether pets can improve mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts studied the respondents' levels of resilience too and how attached each person was to their pets.
The authors included 700 participantsfrom around the world in the study. The survey was completed in two stages: the first one in May 2020 and the second in September 2021.
Findings of the study published in the journal Anthrozoös revealed that pets had a positive effect on owners' lives during the lockdowns.
People who interacted the most with their pets by going on walks and playing with them scored the best on mental health.
However, the study authors explained that unhealthy attachments to pets can be a sign of poorer mental health.