How pets affect human health and psyche. Analysis
Pets reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, help to cope with stress, and support mental health — especially for single and elderly people. How exactly this connection works, where the line between benefit and dependence runs, is in the Izvestia material.
Oxytocin, Cortisol, and purring
The mechanism of animal influence on humans has long been described at the biochemical level. According to PetMD, positive interaction with a pet triggers the release of oxytocin, endorphins, and prolactin in the body, a hormone associated with caring and affection, while cortisol levels, the main marker of stress, decrease. It is characteristic that these changes occur simultaneously in humans and in the animal itself.
Cats deserve special attention. Their purring generates vibrations in the range from 25 to 50 Hz, which, according to a number of studies, have a therapeutic effect, including promoting bone regeneration and lowering blood pressure. A study by the University of Maryland showed that having a cat increased the chances of surviving a heart attack compared to those who lived without animals.
Against loneliness and anxiety: What science says
Research in the field of human-animal interaction has documented a decrease in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness among pet owners. According to HABRI, contact with animals stimulates the production of serotonin and dopamine, and also helps to form stable daily rituals that create a sense of security and social support.
In a society where loneliness and anxiety are growing, a dog or cat "sometimes becomes a real psychological support capable of creating a sense of stability and usefulness in everyday life," the authors of the study state.
In an international HABRI survey, 89% of pet owners around the world noted an improvement — mental or physical — from communicating with their animal. The overall attachment score turned out to be high — 57.5 out of 70, and there were no significant cultural differences in how people experience this connection.
In addition, pet ownership is associated with a lower level of social isolation in adults. This effect was especially significant during the pandemic period: it was then that the role of animals as a buffer against loneliness became most pronounced.
Pets in hospitals, police stations, and courtrooms
Animals have long gone beyond the boundaries of home space and entered clinical practice. The 2025 Scoping review, which covered ten years of publications, showed that intensive care patients who were visited by therapy dogs showed an immediate decrease in anxiety. Parallel relief was noted by their family members. The psychological benefits turned out to be significant, while the physiological parameters — pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate — remained stable.
In pediatric psychiatry, programs with dogs have recorded a decrease in emotional and behavioral outbursts, improved socialization, and increased motivation for patients to participate in therapy.
The practice is gradually moving beyond medicine. In the United States, specially trained dogs are brought to police stations and courtrooms, where they accompany crime victims directly during the hearings. Scientific data on the effectiveness of this particular format is still insufficient, but the feedback from the participants is positive.
When attachment to a pet becomes an addiction
Researchers also record the reverse side of this relationship. Some owners develop an anxious attachment to the pet, with obsessive anxiety when the animal is separated or ill. For older people, forced separation from a pet due to hospitalization or moving to a nursing home is often experienced as a serious psychological trauma: the animal is embedded in their emotional balance and daily rhythm.
According to an international survey by HABRI (Human Animal Bond Research Institute) conducted in 2023, 89% of pet owners in the world noted the benefits for mental or physical health from communicating with an animal.
A French study involving about 1,900 cat and dog owners found that dog owners show a higher attachment score on the LAPS scale, with an average of 58.5 versus 52 for cat owners. Both indicators exceeded similar data from the UK, Denmark and Austria. Women, people without children, and those living alone showed the highest results — the animal acts as a surrogate figure of affection for them.
The researchers emphasize that strong attachment itself is not a pathology. The boundary lies where the anxiety for the pet begins to destroy the quality of life of the owner.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
