Study Says Petting Dogs
or Cats Can Reduce Stress.
A study commissioned by Washington State
University has found that comfort from an animal
can have a “significant impact” on stress levels.
In as little as 10 minutes, interacting with animals
was found to cause a significant reduction
of cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone.
The study, which involved almost 250 college
students, examined four different groups.
One group was allowed to interact with the cats
and dogs for 10 minutes, while the other three
groups either observed or remained isolated.
Researchers then took saliva samples from the
participants and found that those who directly
interacted with the animals had less cortisol.
Patricia Pendry, an associate
professor at WSU, believes the
study shows “exciting” results.
What we wanted to learn was whether this exposure would help students reduce their stress in a less subjective way … the reduction of stress hormones may, over time, have significant benefits for physical and mental health, Patricia Pendry, via TheLadders.com