09/14/2023
🐾 Pets contribute to a stronger sense of identity in pet owners with mental health conditions, including reducing negative perceptions of a mental health condition or diagnosis.
🐾 Pets provide a sense of security and routine in the relationship, reinforcing stable cognition.
🐾 Pets provide a distraction and disruption from distressing symptoms, such as hearing voices, suicidal thoughts, and rumination, and facilitate routine and exercise for those who care for them.
🐾 In a study of adults over 50 with mildly elevated blood pressure, the presence of a pet dog or cat had a significant impact on blood pressure, with dog ownership being associated with lower diastolic and systolic blood pressure compared to people who did not own pets.