Nancy Gee, professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University, has been researching this topic for more than two decades. She tells Yahoo Life one study shows, “Just five minutes of interacting with a dog, for a stressed healthcare worker, can decrease their cortisol to the same level as if they had sat alone in a quiet room for 15 minutes.”

Accumulating evidence demonstrates the importance of companion animals in the lives of humans. This article discusses the varied ways those animals may participate in the treatment of mental illness.

What our study is showing us is some really measurable improvements from having a dog visit them in the hospital.  People often think of it as a "feel good nice to have" but what we're finding is it's actually more than that - it's really delivering measurable to those patients and importantly to healthcare staff.

Attachments are crucial to experiences of human connection. Gee says that people need attachments or bonds “with other living beings.” She mentions four attachment criteria: “When we attach to another person, we find them enjoyable; we find them comforting; they're missed when they're absent; and we seek them out when we're in distress.”

“I think it is safe to say that animals are beneficial to our mental and physical health. We’re seeing really nice effects,” said Professor Nancy Gee, director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University.