The notion that animals benefit human health and wellbeing has become a widespread belief. Since the beneficial effects are
not universal for all people and circumstances, there are qualifiers: pets are not like aspirin, where the effects are somewhat
consistent. If behavioral problems arise, or other responsibilities lead to a person being overburdened, a relationship that
has been pleasant can become stressful. Some broad psychosocial effects are associated with the presence of companion animals,
as documented in many studies and reviewed in Hart (2006).
Beneficial effects are most readily documented among persons who are vulnerable in some way and may have a lasting disease
or disability. The obvious goal of an animal-assisted intervention in such circumstances is to enrich the person's life and
perhaps serve a compensatory role for something that is lacking. For people who are not currently enduring serious problems
such as extreme stress or a disability, an animal also can enhance the quality of life.
Calming comfort and protection for loneliness and depression
The comfort and contentment offered by animals is documented in a large number of studies with vulnerable people, including
children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, disease, or loneliness. The protection against loneliness was shown in
studies of elderly or college women living alone or with a pet, and with elderly people receiving animal-assisted therapy
in a nursing home. A calming effect was shown for people with Alzheimer's disease who still live at home (Fritz, Farver, Hart, and Kass, 1995),
for people in a psychiatric ward when an animal was present (Barak, Savorai, Mavashev, and Beni, 2001), and for hyperactive
children participating in a classroom or farm program (Katcher and Wilkins, 1997). Other examples of the calming effect involved
children with Down's syndrome in their classroom, a reduced frequency of seizures for people with seizure dogs, and reduced
anxiety for psychiatric patients with animal-assisted therapy.
A lower level of depression was found among bereaved elderly with few friends who had a companion animal, versus those without
an animal. Depression was reduced among men using an aviary in a nursing home, elderly people in rehabilitation given a bird,
and college students given animal-assisted therapy. For people with AIDS, the presence of a companion animal was associated
with a buffering of depression.
Although many studies have focused on the use of dogs, cats are preferable for some people because of the reduced requirements
for care and interaction. Cats were a more compatible pet than dogs in one study for people with AIDS. Another reported that
having a cat was associated with elderly women having less depression and loneliness.
Two recent papers presented meta-analyses of animal-assisted therapy. One found effects for autism-spectrum symptoms, medical
difficulties, behavioral problems, and emotional well-being (Nimer and Lundahl, 2007). The second study found that animal-assisted
activities and therapy were associated with fewer depressive symptoms (Souter and Miller, 2007).
Socializing effects
Animals have an "ice-breaking" capability of putting people at ease. They normalize and elicit social behavior, even among
strangers, as shown with adults and children who use wheelchairs and have service dogs (Eddy, Hart, and Boltz, 1988; Mader,
Hart, and Bergin, 1989) and people with hearing loss who have hearing dogs. People who have companion animals are perceived
as being more attractive and are trusted more. They are given more friendly social approaches, and then the animals easily
serve as a favored topic of conversation.
In institutional settings, animal-assisted activities result in improved socializing. This was demonstrated in a psychiatric
facility for elderly women, in a residential home, among residents of a nursing home with Alzheimer's disease, among elderly
men, and among elderly schizophrenic patients.
Motivating effects
Less well-known are the powerful motivating effects of animals to inspire people to consistently engage in activities with
their animals. The animal can facilitate a sustained commitment for the activities. Dogs are highly capable of persuading
family members to take them for a walk or toss them a ball. This influence results in increased exercise and time outdoors,
especially for elderly people who perhaps otherwise would not be so engaged.
In classrooms, children with developmental disorders or hyperactivity show a capability to remain more focused with a dog
present. Perhaps the most pervasive example is the widespread practice in every community of people visiting nursing homes
to share their animals as animal-assisted activities. The enjoyment of sharing the animal provides the motivation to continue
this activity.
