Finals got you down? In need of a study break? Petting your dog might be the perfect way to reduce your stress levels. Many universities have implemented programs where therapy dogs and their handlers visit college campuses. These therapy dog programs are a way to help students cope with stress, but not much research has been done to figure out the efficacy in improving the well-being of students.
There has been evidence that single drop in group therapy dog sessions temporarily relieves stress, increases students’ feelings of connection to their campus, improves mood and well-being, and decreases anxiety (Grajfoner, Harte, et al., 2017). These effects seem to only be short-lived, and there is not as much empirical evidence looking at long-term effects. This one study tried to tackle this dilemma by looking at whether there were any benefits of a therapy dog session approximately 10 hours later. They found that participants in the experimental group experienced greater reduction in negative affect and perceived stress, as well as an increase in perceived social support compared to the delayed-treatment control group. The therapy dog sessions did not have lasting effects on happiness, positive affect, or life satisfaction (Ward-Griffin, Klaiber, et al., 2018).
It seems like petting dogs show short-term effects, but this may be beneficial towards students during particular stressful periods of the school year. Given the high levels of stress and emotional difficulties that college students face, it is important for universities to provide interventions to reduce stress and improve well-being.
Switching the perspective, there is evidence that human interaction can help reduce cortisol levels in shelter dogs. Dogs who are in shelters have specific stressors like novel surroundings or separtion from social attachments may influence the HPA axis. (Coppola, Grandin, et al., 2006). Cortisol is recognized as the major indicator of response to stress and salivary cortisol was used in this study. These researchers wanted to examine the effect of human contact sessions implemented shortly after arrival in the shelter. They found that animals in the no-contact group have higher cortisol levels on day 3 than any other day (Coppola, Grandin, et al., 2006).
Dogs are a human’s best friend and there might be some evidence that proves that we need each other in times of need.
References
Ward-Griffin, E., Klaiber, P., Collins, H. K., Owens, R. L., Coren, S., & Chen, F. S. (2018). Petting away pre-exam stress: The effect of therapy dog sessions on student well-being. Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 34(3), 468–473. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2804
Grajfoner, D., Harte, E., Lauren, P. M., & McGuigan, N. (2017). The effect of dog‐assisted intervention on student well‐being, mood, and anxiety. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14, 483. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.3390/ijerph14050483
Coppola, C. L., Grandin, T., & Enns, R. M. (2006). Human interaction and cortisol: can human contact reduce stress for shelter dogs?. Physiology & behavior, 87(3), 537–541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.12.001
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ReplyDeleteI wonder if the effects would be longer term if interacting with a dog on a consistent basis, like having a dog as a pet. A study showed a significant decrease in depression for people living at a nursing home over two years if they interacted with the resident dog (Beetz et al., 2012). The residents also displayed reduced levels of confusion and less tension if they interacted with the resident dog. I think promoting time with dogs can be helpful not only for us students during finals week, but should be implemented in more uncomfortable/stressful situations like psychiatric units or hospitals.
ReplyDeleteI was curious as how to maximize the calming and anti-anxiety benefits of spending time with a dog. Turns out, the act of petting the dog is not what introduces the beneficial effects, because petting a toy animal compared to petting a live animal has no physiological difference (Beetz et al., 2012). I could not find any research about the actual action that activates the oxytocin system likely responsible for reducing stress in the presence of a dog.
Citation
Beetz, A., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Julius, H., & Kotrschal, K. (2012). Psychosocial and psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: the possible role of oxytocin. Frontiers in psychology, 3, 234. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00234