The health benefits of owning dogs goes well beyond the physical domain. In fact, the benefits of dogs in helping people with psychological disabilities have been well documented in scientific research as well. Mental and emotional well-being are directly related to human health when we take a holistic approach.

The CDC reports that over 43 million adults in the United States struggled with mental health issues in the last year. With the stakes so high, understanding the benefit to mental health that dog ownership may offer is more important than ever.

How are canines improving mental and emotional health? Let’s look at a few examples:

8. Dogs Can Positively Impact Feelings Of Loneliness & Social Exclusion.
For most of us, our busy modern lives include a great deal of connecting on various forms of social media, and yet, feelings of social isolation and loneliness are more common than ever (54). Moreover, these feelings may be contributing to negative overall health outcomes.

Meanwhile, the rise of cyberbullying has become a major epidemic affecting children and teens. Social isolation is a real problem in the modern world, and it turns out that dog ownership can have a positive impact on helping us feel connected and supported.

Studies have shown that dogs reduce feelings of social isolation in clinical and real world settings. In addition, it seems that dogs facilitate social interactions between people, helping us to connect with one another.

Although canines and humans have a long history together, it may be that the features of the modern world make their role more crucial than ever in improving our lives!

  • Dogs reduce feelings of social isolation in clinical and real world settings.
  • Dogs facilitate social interactions between people, helping us to connect with one another
  • Check out Emotional Pet Support for more great information!

– Mathew Coulton

Read More: Mental Health Benefits of Dogs

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