THERAPY DOGS MAY HELP STUDENT FIGHT STRESS

Toronto, March 13: Spending some time with dogs can help boost wellness among stressed out students, a study has found.

Therapy dog sessions for stressed- out students are an increasingly popular offering at North American universities.

“Therapy dog sessions are becoming more popular on university campuses, but there has been surprisingly little research on how much attending a single dropin therapy dog session actually helps students,” said

Emma Ward- Griffin, research assistant at University of British Columbia ( UBC) in Canada.

“Our findings suggest that therapy dog sessions have a measurable, positive effect on the wellbeing of university students, particularly on stress reduction and feelings of negativity,” said Ward- Griffin, lead author of the study published in the journal Stress and Health.

Researchers surveyed 246 students before and after they spent time in a drop- in therapy dog session.

Students were free to pet, cuddle and chat with seven to 12 canine companions during the sessions. They also filled out questionnaires immediately before and after the session.

The researchers found that participants reported significant reductions in stress as well as increased happiness and energy immediately following the session, compared to a control group of students who did not spend time at a therapy dog session.