The effect of pet therapy on the physiological and subjective stress response: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

Studies have reported that exposure to pet therapy (PT) can reduce physiological and subjective stress and anxiety levels. The aim of this meta-analysis is to examine the efficacy of PT as a method for reducing physiological stress levels (blood pressure and heart rate) and subjective stress and anxiety scores (self-reported stress/anxiety). Further, we examined the effects of sample characteristics and modifications to the PT (different age groups and health status of participants across samples, whether a stressor was present, and individual versus group PT) as potential moderators of the relationship between PT and stress reactivity. Our searches incorporated articles published from May 2017 and earlier in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and PubMed. This meta-analysis included 28 articles with 34 independent samples and contained a total of 1,310 participants. Using a random effects model, we determined that significant differences occurred in heart rate, self-reported anxiety, and self-reported stress after PT exposure compared with before PT. However, we did not detect significant differences in blood pressure after PT. Sample characteristics and modifications to the PT significantly moderated the effect of PT on stress responses. Our results suggest that PT can be an effective program for reducing stress reactivity.

The Relationship between Dog Ownership, Psychopathological Symptoms and Health-Benefitting Factors in Occupations at Risk for Traumatization

“…Despite these divergent findings, human-animal interactions have been consistently shown to reduce subjective and physiological stress levels (for a meta-analysis, see Ein et al [10]), function as social support and enhance social interactions (for a review, see Beetz et al [11]) and to decrease depressive symptoms (for meta-analyses, see Borgi et al [12], and Souter and Miller [13]). This leads to the hypothesis that pet ownership might also have beneficial effects on individuals working in high-risk occupations.…”

Dog Bites in Children Surge during Coronavirus Disease-2019: A Case for Enhanced Prevention

“…Relationships with our companion dogs not only bring us joy, but science has also demonstrated that even brief positive interactions with dogs can decrease human stress and anxiety. 1 For children living in a home with a dog, the benefits include increased responsibility and compassion, a sense of security and pride, and even positive impacts to the immune system. Potential risks of living with a dog, however, also exist-especially for the most vulnerable, younger, family members.…”

Learning R Programming Language With Psi Chi

“…Both shortterm and longterm options have been shown to be effective for help ing undergraduate and graduate students deal with stress and related disorders (Huang, Nigatu, SmailCrevier, Zhang, & Wang, 2018;Yusufov, NicoloroSantaBarbera, Grey, Moyer, & Lobel, 2018). Some effective therapies for stress in gen eral and psychological disorders specifically have employed the assistance of a variety of animals (Ein, Li, & Vickers, 2018). Many different populations interact with therapy animals including children, adolescents, adults, and older adults, people with physical ailments, people needing speech therapy, people with psychological disorders, and people with developmental disabilities (Boyer & Mundschenk, 2014;Braun, Stangler, Narveson, & Pettingell, 2009;Fedor, 2018;Matuszek, 2010;Nimer & Lundahl, 2007).…”