Depression and Pets

Depression has reached epidemic proportion in United States. One in every three women and one in every five men will suffer from major depression in their lifetime.

It is widely believed that having pet(s) prevents and alleviates symptoms of depression. This notion is supported by several studies that examine the psychological and mental health benefits associated with pets.

Pet owners are 40 percent less likely to develop anxiety and 30 percent less likely to develop depression. Studies have demonstrated the positive effects of pet ownership on several aspects of mental health, including social support, companionship, self-esteem and integration with the community. Playing and caring for pets have been shown to reduce stress and lower blood pressure. Having a pet also allows a person who is depressed to turn her attention away from her pressing daily issues.

Pet-ownership also reduces the risk of loneliness by promoting interactions and conversation with strangers. McNicholas and Collis (2000) showed that dogs act as catalysts for social interactions and dog-walkers are more likely to experience social contact and conversation than people walking alone.

Interestingly, pet ownership reduces the risk of depression indirectly through increasing physical activity for pet owners. Physical activity is an important protective factor for depression, as well as a range of other health conditions. Many studies reported higher levels of physical activity among dog-owners in comparison to non-dog owners, or increased walking following the acquisition of a dog.

Pet ownership also protects against depression when the owner suffers from another illness. For instance, Siegel (1999) showed that AIDS-infected men without pets were two times more likely to report depression than AIDS-infected men who owned pets.

The protective effects of pets against depression are not the same for everybody. Tower and Nokota (2006) examined the link between sociodemographic predictors of living with a cat or dog and depression risk. They showed that single women benefit most from pet companionship, as they reported the fewest symptoms of depression.

In summary, in addition to other treatment options, owning a pet will help you to recover from depression.