Project plan: How does a pet impact and benefit an individual’s mental health?
Step 1) What are the benefits of having pets as companions for our mental health?
This step allows us to learn the overall benefits a pet can produce in our life. Knowing how pets can help us and their general benefits can allow us to have a more in-depth understanding of ourselves and our pets.
Step 2) Do emotional support animals work as well or better than other methods of emotional support?
This step allows us to learn how ESA (emotional support animals) specifically can benefit our emotional and mental well-being. This knowledge can help us better understand those in our community with ESA pets and potentially allow others to explore ESA pets as an option to benefit them.
Step 3) Should individuals consider getting a pet to improve their mental health?
This step will benefit those who may not be content with their current mechanism to deal with mental health issues, to consider getting a pet. This also allows those to be educated on the benefits a pet can have for their mental well-being.
5 sources that can address my question:
- https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets
- https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/well-being/pets-and-mental-health/
- https://ct.counseling.org/2015/04/confirming-the-benefits-of-emotional-support-animals/
- https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/mood-boosting-power-of-dogs.htm
- https://psychcentral.com/health/pets-and-mental-health
How this question will have implications for other individuals and my community:
Many people experience mental health issues. This may be due to a variety of reasons such as past experiences, genetics, or a low time in their life. Many want help dealing with these issues and need other solutions compared to options such as therapy. Pets are loved by many and can serve a greater purpose than most can expect. Researching this question can allow others in my community to be aware of the benefits a pet can serve them for their mental health. This information could address questions individuals previously had and could influence some to get their own pets. Some may even relate to the information found and feel more comfortable speaking openly about their own experiences on how a pet helped them overcome mental health issues.
Hey Itzel, exciting post! I find that this is a very intriguing topic that is quite relevant to many of the students on this website. So many people nowadays have pets that live with them, whether that be a dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pig, parrot, etc. In the vast majority of these cases, the owners of these pets end up forming a strong bond with the animals and receive a positive boost in their emotional state when they interact with them. As someone who has a cat as a pet, I know how calming it is to consistently interact with a furry friend, and being able to learn more about his effect on my mental health is quite intriguing. I’m looking forward to your next post!
Some resources you may find useful are:
https://pets.webmd.com/how-pets-affect-mental-health
https://namica.org/blog/how-dogs-can-help-us-maintain-mental-health/
https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-being-cat-lover
Hi Itzel,
I really like your question as I have always loved animals and have had many pets through the years. I think pets add so much to our lives and can really effect our mood and over all mental health. I think it would be really cool if you talked about the way age plays into the way animals impact our mental health. For example, is a baby impacted differently by the presence of a pet than a 45-year-old?
Here are some websites that may help you:
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets
https://www.cpp.ca/blog/the-cats-out-of-the-bag-animals-play-a-big-role-in-boosting-our-mental-health/#:~:text=Interacting%20with%20animals%20actually%20causes,and%20terminally%20ill%20patient%20care.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/pets-and-mental-health
Your project is already so interesting, I am excited to see how it grows!