It's already been a known fact that having a pet does numerous benefits, most especially in reliving anxiety. As per the Help Guide website, taking care of pets in general help relieve depression, stress, and anxiety.
As per NBC News, a small study which focused on 643 kids ages between 6 and 7. Their team located in Bassett Medical Center in New York however found out that 12 percent of children with pet dogs are tested positive for clinical anxiety, unlike the 21 percent of children without a dog.
Dr. Anne Gadomski and her team then wrote in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease. Stating:
"It may be that less anxious children have pet dogs or pet dogs make children less anxious, from a mental health standpoint, children aged 7 to 8 often ranked pets higher than humans as providers of comfort and self-esteem and as confidants, animal-assisted therapy with dogs affects children's mental health and developmental disorders by reducing anxiety and arousal or enhancing attachment, because dogs follow human communicative cues, they may be particularly effective agents for children's emotional development."
They then added that pets have the capacity to relive several areas in a child life that is triggered by anxiety.
"Significant differences between groups were found for the separation anxiety component ('My child is afraid to be alone in the house') and social anxiety component ('My child is shy') favoring pet ownership, a pet dog can stimulate conversation, an ice-breaking effect that can alleviate social anxiety via a social catalyst effect,"
During her interview with NBC news, she then added that:
"Sometimes their first word is the name of their pet, there is a very strong bond between children and their pets."
In addition to their statement in regards to having a child's anxiety relived, their studies revealed that playing and cuddling with their pet dog induces the brain to produce a hormone "oxytocin". It also lowers the stress hormone known as cortisol.
Dr. Gadomski then noted that this research is only applicable to dogs, and no other pets as they were only able to focus on dogs alone. "It doesn't mean that cats can't do the same thing,"
