Research is now providing evidence that supports the latest trend for helping those struggling with mood disorders. Unlike medication or talk therapy, these solutions might be described as loyal, devoted, loving, dependable, and typically cuddly. And… might have four legs.
Yes, furry friends, known in the more clinical jargon as Emotional Support Animals, or ESA’s, are finally being studied in empirical research. These studies are demonstrating how ESA’s can help with mood disorders and contribute to a myriad of health benefits.
Benefits of pet ownership
Many people think of their pet as a member of the family. This means there is a strong emotional connection between the owner and the pet. For many pet owners, love is not too strong a word to describe how they feel about their pets. In fact, a recent Swedish study showed that interactions between pet owners and their pets brought on surges of oxytocin, the hormone associated with love and bonding. As a result, having a pet brings benefits such as:
- Lowered anxiety
- Reduced stress
- Improved cardiovascular health
- Increased physical activity
- Lowered cholesterol and decrease blood pressure
- Increase positive mood
- Boost immune system
Overcoming barriers to pet ownership
A letter provided by a mental health expert stating that you will benefit from an ESA allows you to overcome barriers to pet ownership such as living in an apartment that does not allow pets. Travel restrictions with your pet may also be lifted. People are now recognizing the health benefits of support animals. As Alan Beck, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University, states “It used to be one of the great no-no’s to think of an animal in a hospital,” says Alan Beck, citing the fear of causing infection. “Now, I don’t know of any major children’s hospital that doesn’t have at least some kind of animal program.”
Emotional support animals: Cats, dogs, and… crickets?
One of the reasons that the term “ESA” has caught on is the flexibility of the term. Animals that you may not have assumed would provide emotional support have also been the focus of recent studies. For example, researchers found that when people in a facility for Alzheimer’s dined in front of aquariums with brightly colored fish, they ate more, got better nutrition and were less prone to pacing. They were also more attentive and less lethargic.
Even more surprising, in a 2016 study published in the journal Gerontology, elderly people who were given five crickets in a cage became less depressed after eight weeks in comparison to a control group.
If you believe you are in need of an Emotional Support Animal, do not let traditional barriers prevent you from having the support you need. I provide assessment and ESA letters for my clients.
Jennifer Lauren Counseling
Jennifer Lauren Arceneaux, LMFT is a licensed Psychotherapist and Marriage and Family Therapist. She provides therapy in Culver City, California to couples, families, and individuals. If you would like to learn more, call and book your first appointment or fill out the contact form and click Send.