2024-01-25 10:34:54
Those who live with a companion with more than two legs know the secret well. Animals, especially those considered domestic, such as the traditional dogs and cats, project a feeling of unconditional love that is difficult to find in human relationships. Whether in childhood or in adult life, the attention we receive from our peers and the need for care that their life requires along with ours requires a pragmatic commitment that, very often, serves as an impetus when suffering from mental illnesses, physical or other types of trauma.
For this same reason, animal therapies are multiplying among the centers and institutions that offer them. Scientific research seems to support its effects: Living with animals is a pleasant source of well-being for humans.. To what extent is this the case?
Of coexistence…
The impact most investigated by specialists is that provided by companion animals. Some of the most common disorders, such as Stress, anxiety or depression are lessened with an animal. And they not only improve the development of psychological conditions, but also help in the good evolution of physiological diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, hormonal and metabolic disorders, epilepsy or Alzheimer’s. This was confirmed in 2007 by the meta-study The influence of pets on human life carried out by the Centauro research group, from the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Antioquía, in Colombia.
It is not a subjective impression, therefore, that living with animals makes us feel better. Playing with animals reduces our adrenaline levels, combating the symptoms of nervous disorders, while making us feel better and loved. Faced with diseases such as depression, the attention that animals require helps maintain a series of routines that prevent the negative progress of the disease. A clear example is going for a walk with the dog. In fact, during the three months of confinement in Spain during the pandemic in 2020, the brief breaks of walking outdoors and playing with dogs helped many people reduce the effects of mood deterioration during that period, as the results attest. obtained by the team of researcher Nicolás Sánchez, from the University of Málaga, published in 2021.
In childhood, living with animals helps build one’s identity, providing self-esteem and security.
In childhood, living with animals at home is also a source of benefits, especially in early phases of cognitive development. The vigilant attitudes of dogs and cats regarding the well-being of babies and their protective attitude against dangers and aggressions that the little ones can suffer are well known. However, the integration of a non-human living being into the family environment helps children acquire greater responsibility by having to share tasks of assisting the animal, improves their ability to relate socially through activities and games with them and Among other advantages, coexistence promotes the construction of one’s own identity, providing self-esteem and security in the face of more turbulent life periods, such as adolescence. An investigation Conducted in January 20202 by the University of Jaén, it brings together the conclusions of some of the main research on childhood and the coexistence of an animal compared to children and adolescents who have grown up without one at home. They all reach the same end: The presence of a pet helps in the psychological development and maturity of children and adolescents to a significant degree..
…to therapy
Not in vain, scientific evidence has led to the incorporation of various animal species in two fields of clinical therapy.
On the one hand, there is the use of certain abilities of certain animals to detect diseases. This is the surprising case of an everyday bird in our cities, pigeons. As loved as they are despised according to the population’s bias, pigeons, trained for it, They are able to be correct in 72% of cases in detecting breast cancer by observing photographs of tissues thanks to their peculiar vision, which could help improve the early detection of a disease that causes more than 90,000 deaths a year in Western Europe alone. In addition, ants and dogs have also been trained to detect cancerous samples and even sick people during the coronavirus pandemic. How did it take place in the latter case in the United States.
The incorporation of dogs, cats and horses as a means of therapy for people with various syndromes, in hospitals and psychiatric units, and in nursing homes and day centers. In all cases, close contact with animals favors the reduction of anxiety, concern about problems and a notable improvement in sociability. In the case of the elderly, the perception of loneliness, which is one of the great challenges that society faces with older people, is alleviated by care for pets. Among the many institutions that provide these services, one of the foundations that has received the most awards for the quality and number of its projects and therapies is Centauro Quirón Foundation, in Murcia, committed to people with functional and mental disabilities and especially committed to therapy with horses and dogs. Because animals (there is no doubt about it) are a source of unavoidable well-being.
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