Another way in which animals can improve psychological health is that they have been shown to facilitate more social interactions. Most of the research in this area has focused on the socialisation effect of dogs, especially service dogs. McNicholas and Collis (2000) conducted a study to determine how strong the socialisation effect was. They used a trained guide dog who would not actively encourage attention from strangers, and the number of social interactions from strangers were recorded. There were significantly more interactions in the dog condition than the no dog condition. Increased social interactions are not restricted to dogs, as Hunt et al reported in their 1992 study. They found that a young female confederate was approached more often in a park when accompanied by a rabbit or a turtle.
The socialisation effect has been found to be very important among those with disabilities, and much research has been conducted on those who require a service dog. For example, Hart et al (1987) looked at a group of wheelchair users who used service dogs. They found that those who were accompanied by service dogs were acknowledged and greeted by more strangers than the control group. Eddy et al (1988) studied a group of visually impaired wheelchair users with guide dogs by observing them from a distance while the dogs were present and also when the person was alone. The observers found that “both smiles and conversations from passersby increased significantly when the dogs were present”. This effect was also seen in disabled children, in a study by Mader et al (1989). They found that children in wheelchairs were more likely to be acknowledged by strangers in settings such as shopping centres while accompanied by the service dog. Mader et al suggested that the dog may “assist in normalising the social interactions for children with disabilities”. Another way in which pets, especially dogs, increase social interactions is that they require constant walking, and therefore encourage people to leave the house more than they would if they were alone. Rogers et al (1993), in their study of elderly pet owners, found that those who owned a dog went for walks a lot more frequently than non-owners, and as a consequence reported greater overall life satisfaction (physical, social and emotional).
Having considered the positive effect pets can have on psychological health, it is logical to assume that pets could be used to help treat those with psychological difficulties. A technique known as Animal Assisted Therapy has been developed to use animals as part of a treatment program, or to encourage social interactions and improve mood in a nursing home or hospital setting. Animal Assisted Therapy has a specific treatment goal in mind and is conducted by a trained professional. Animal Assisted Activities are more flexible sessions conducted in a more casual setting, and are generally just opportunities to meet and play with the animals (McCulloch, 1983). The positive effects of this type of therapy have been well documented in the literature. For example, Crowley-Robinson et al (1996) conducted a longitudinal study on nursing homes with either a resident dog, a visiting dog, or no dog at all. The results showed that the presence of a dog significantly decreased levels of tension, depression, anger, fatigue and confusion compared to the control group. It also showed that the dog produced an increase in activity or “vigour” among residents. This effect was similar even when the animal was not permanently resident in the home. Haughie et al (1992) found that “elderly psychiatric patients…increased their verbal and non-verbal interactions during visits with a dog”.
Although pets have been shown to increase psychological well-being in their owners, owning a pet does have several drawbacks. One concern is the transmission of zoonotic diseases, which can range from relatively harmless bacterial infections to potentially fatal conditions such as toxoplasmosis. This problem is particularly pertinent if there are young children in the family, as they are extremely vulnerable to such diseases. Another concern, especially with dogs, is that of biting. If handled improperly or provoked, dogs can cause significant damage to adults, but again children are most vulnerable, as they may provoke the animal unintentionally while playing. Pets can cost a lot to maintain, with the cost of food and also veterinary bills, and this can put a lot of strain on the family. Another problem, especially for the elderly, is whether or not the animal is too active for them to look after. Some animals are naturally more boisterous than others, and this can cause a lot of undue stress to the elderly person.
The evidence in the literature suggests that pets do indeed have many psychological benefits for the owner. Directly, they provide the owner with unconditional love and support, and also give them the opportunity to nurture and look after something, which can be especially beneficial to those living alone or with no family. Also, they can indirectly increase social interactions for the owner, as they require constant walking, and tend to elicit more conversations and acknowledgements from strangers than would normally occur if the owner was alone. This is extremely important for groups who are normally socially isolated such as the disabled or elderly. This knowledge has been applied to help those in need of psychological therapy or those who are trying to adjust to institutional life. Despite the drawbacks of owning a pet, these can be overcome by ensuring adequate veterinary attention, and also choosing the right type of pet to suit the needs of the person or their family.
REFERENCES:
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Crowley-Robinson, P., Fenwick, D.C. and Blackshaw, J.K., “A long-term study of elderly people in nursing homes with visiting and resident dogs” Applied Animal Behaviour Science Vol. 47, pp.137-148 (1996)
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Eddy, J., Hart, L.A. and Boltz, R.P, “The effect of service dogs on social acknowledgements of people in wheelchairs” Journal of Psychology, Vol.122(1), pp.39-35 (1988)
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Hart, L.A, “Dogs as human companions: a review of the relationship” in Serpell, J (ed.) The Domestic Dog: its evolution, behaviour and interactions with people (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge) 1995, p.171
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Hart, L.A., Hart, B.L. and Bergin, B., “Socialising effects of service dogs for people with disablilties” Anthrozoos, Vol.1(1) pp.41-44 (1987)
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Haughie, E., Milne, D. and Elliot, V. “An evaluation of companion pets with elderly psychiatric patients” Behavioural Psychotherapy Vol.20, pp.367-372 (1992) ctd in Hart, L.A. “Methods, Standards, Guidelines and Considerations in Selecting Animals for Animal Assisted Therapy” in Fine, A. (ed), Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice (Academic Press) p.83, 2000
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Mader, B., Hart, L.A. and Bergin, B. “Social acknowledgements for children with disabilities: Effects of service dogs” Child Development Vol. 60, pp.1529-1534 (1989)
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McCulloch, M. “Pet Therapy-An Overview” The Human-Pet Relationship: International Symposium on the 80th birthday of Nobel Prize Winner Prof. Konrad Lorenz (Vienna: Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Human-Pet Relationships) 1983, pp.25-31 ctd in
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McNicholas, J, and Collis, G.M., “Dogs as catalysts for social interactions: Robustness of the effect”, British Journal of Psychology, Vol. 91, pp. 61-70 (2000)
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Rogers, J., Hart, L.A. and Boltz, R.P., “The Role of pet dogs in casual conversations of elderly adults”, Journal of Social Psychology Vol.133(3) pp.265-277 (1993)
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Zasloff, R.L. and Kidd, A.H., “Loneliness and pet ownership among single women” Psychological Reports, Vol. 75(2), pp. 754-752 (1994)
