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Dogs Help Schizophrenia Patients Recover

Monday, January 17, 2005

New Kerala reported yesterday of a research finding that dogs are helpful in the treating of schizophrenia. A team of researchers from the Technion Institute of Technology in Israel compared the results of two groups of schizophrenia patients.
The researchers compared 10 schizophrenia patients who underwent animal-assisted therapy and 10 who were given non-animal therapy over a 10-week period and found that the group, which was given pet therapy, showed a significant improvement in the hedonic tone compared to the other group.
We always hear stories like this, where dogs or cats possess an ability to heal just by being themselves.

But perhaps there is something about "just being yourself" that is therapeutic to others. We are often attracted to things that are unlike us. We have this atraction to things that we find unusual. Dogs always seem to possess a positive outlook on life, and hence, are often therapeutic to those who are feeling down on themselves.

1 Comments:

  • I was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was seventeen. At age nineteen, the new psychiatrist I was seeing suggested to my parents that I get a "therapy dog."

    My Sheltie, Molly Jones, is 1 1/2 years old now and although she was never properly trained or received her TDI from the state, she is the best therapy I could ever ask for, constantly keeping me busy, active, and happier than ever.

    By Anonymous Sarah Lane, at 12:26 PM, October 21, 2005  

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