Ten minutes of stroking a pet can reduce your stress level

Scientists from Washington State University (WSU) in the United States have shown that in addition to improving the mood, having a pet produces physiological benefits which can really relieve the stress.

The statement was published in the academic journal of the American Educational Research Association, AERA Open. "Only 10 minutes can have a impact significant"The researchers in our study who interacted with cats and dogs had a significant reduction in cortisol, an important stress hormone," said researcher Patricia Pendry.

The tests were conducted with students from the university. Faced with the stress of courses, jobs and exams, many American universities have programs called "Pet your stress away"(" Eliminate stress with pets ", its translation), where reporters can participate and interact with cats and / or dogs to relieve some of the tension.

This study is the first study that demonstrates a reduction in cortisol levels of students during an intervention. in real life instead of in a lab environment. Involved 249 university students Random divided into four groups. The first group had a practical small group interaction with cats and dogs for 10 minutes. They could pet, play and spend time with the animals as they wished.

To compare the effects of different exhibitions In the case of animals, the second group watched the other people caress the animals while waiting for their turn. The third saw a slideshow of the same animals available during the intervention, while the fourth was "on the waiting list".

These students waited silently for 10 minutes without their phone, reading material or any other stimulus, but were told that they would soon experience an interaction with the animals.

Several samples were taken from cortisol each participant's saliva, starting in the morning when they woke up. Once all the sample data was extracted, students who interacted directly with the animals showed significantly less cortisol in their saliva after interaction. These results were found even considering that in some cases they could have very high or low levels to begin with.

"We already knew that students appreciated interactions with animals and that it helped them experience more positive emotions. We wanted to know if this exhibition would help students reduce their stress in a less subjective way. And he did, which is exciting, because the reduction of stress hormones can, over time, have beneficial effects on physical and mental health, "says Pendry.

Now, Pendry and his team are continuing this work by examining the impact of a animal-badisted stress prevention Four weeks. Preliminary results are "very positive", they said last.