Research shows that domestic animals can help to protect mental health from the stress, caused by pandemic life and loneliness during lockdown. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the University of Lincoln in the UK, Science alert reports.
"This work is particularly important at the current time as it indicates how having a companion animal in your home can buffer against some of the psychological stress associated with lockdown," animal behaviour researcher Daniel Mills from the University of Lincoln said.
Between mid-April and the end of May, almost 6,000 people living in the UK during lockdown were surveyed about their mental health and their pets.
The vast majority of pet owners (including more than 90 percent of dog, horse, and cat owners) said their animals had helped them cope emotionally with the lockdown, and had positive effects on their family as well.
Scientists also concluded that a pet or companion animal - either it is a furry friend or a farm animal - can also seriously support people with severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Most studies like this to date have focused on dogs and cats, but it turns out, unsurprisingly, that people can form strong emotional connections with any type of pet; it doesn't depend on which species we choose as our companion.
As it was reported earlier, The Justice Ministry of Ukraine intends to allow the prisoners to keep their pets in the detention centers.
