Feeling stressed out? New research suggests the benefit of getting a pet for college students:
Students who chose to live with at least one dog, one cat, or a combination of the two were less likely to report feeling lonely and depressed; something they directly attributed to their beloved pet.
While previous research has shown that pets help many specific populations (such as people with a chronic illness, senior citizens, and people who live alone), this is the first study to show this effect is also present in young adults.
Freshmen and sophomores, especially, are at risk for loneliness and stress, as they are just establishing their college social network. And while online social networks help the transition for many, face-to-face friends are often just as important to help a person feel less alone.
A cat, dog, or a combination of the two can help reduce the feelings of loneliness and accompanying stress.
So if you’re still wondering to get that college student for Christmas, consider a pet! (keeping in mind, of course, that most dorms don’t allow them, which is a shame given this study’s findings).
Read the full article: Pets Relieve College Stress
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Links to This Article
College Students Find Comfort In Their Pets During Hard Times (12/29/2008)
4 Comments to
“Stressed Out? Get a Pet”
Of course to us 65 million plus pet parents in the U.S., this is no surprise. A beloved pet can improve one’s physical and emotional health regardless of age. They are connected to pure, unconditional love, and they help us reconnect to that deepest part of ourselves. Very healing!
its not a good idea to get a pet because your depressed in college because many pets are left behind after the student is gone creating a stray@homeless situation .. a better idesa is to volunteer some time at a animal shelter while your in college
Of course pets combat loneliness. That’s no surprise. However, please do not suggest getting pets “while in college” without stressing how important it is to understand that when you adopt a pet, it’s for the duration of a “healthy and well-cared for” lifetime of the pet. To get a pet temporarily and then give it away, let it go or turn it into a shelter after it’s bonded with you is simply cruel, and it is highly inappropriate and irresponsible to either suggest doing so or to omit explaining commitment required when decided to adopt a pet.
I agree with Shady, could not have said it better, I lived by Fort Hays College for a couple of years. word got out that I would take an animal before I let it be cut loose with no one. Semester Brake and Summer break I would be over run with people putting dogs in my back yard. The animals were traumatized by being abandoned by their human family.
At times I would have a person come by after spring, christmas or other break and ask me if I had found a certain dog. We would have a long chat before I would let the dog go with the person, sometimes I would not let the dog go at all, (the way the dog behaved,cleaness of the dog or weight. the up keep).
I also agreed to babysit some of the animal if they had to leave town again.
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