Puppy videos for mental health? Let’s see what the science says
READ TIME : 4 min
Turns out there is a lot of research that is pointing to dog videos having a positive impact on mental health. For brevity’s sake, I’ll only tell you about one study that was recently published...
A study* published in 2023 looked at college students in Canada who watched a 3 minute video prior to a stressful arithmetic task. The videos (5 total) included dog (active & tranquil), nature (active & tranquil), and control (blank screen). All with no audio, and instructions to immerse themselves.
*Ein, N., Gervasio, J., Reed, M. J., & Vickers, K. (2022) Effects on wellbeing of exposure to dog videos before a Stressor. Anthrozoos, 36(3), 349-367.
So what did they find out?
dog video condition had more of a reduction in stress compared to control (prior to stressor)
control condition had more of a reduction in stress after the stressor compared to dog condition
dog condition showed higher levels of happiness prior to stressor than nature condition
So for all the other dog moms, I would say there is clearly research to support having 90% of your camera roll being videos of your dog.
But, you might wonder, how would I use this information as a therapist?
Research is great, but it kind of happens in a bubble. Which means it doesn’t always directly transfer to the real world. So I would need to ask a few questions first.
First, I’d ask my client:
do they even like dogs? (maybe they are scared or they like cats better)
do they like watching videos on their phone? (college students are a common population for research and might like using their phones more than other populations)
Research findings will not always apply to everyone! Kind of like medications, where there might be a med that is super effective but if the patient is allergic then it’s irrelevant.
Additional questions I would have for future research:
would the dog video impact their performance on the task?
would the dog video after the stressor also be helpful?
are these findings applicable to other situations, like a social stressor?
does length of video matter?
how about kittens?
how about their own dog vs a stranger’s?
what happens if you add music?
Most importantly, as a therapist, I listen to what my client tells me. Because, if the research says yes dog videos can help, but my client doesn’t like dogs, then that’s not actually our best approach. Regardless of the research.
Regardless, probably the most important question to ask is:
What’s it’s like for YOU to watch dog videos? Do YOU find it helpful?
Also, a fun fact about me is that before I became a therapist, I spent a number of years after college working on research trials. So I have a rare mixture of of experience working in BOTH research and clinical settings.
Which means that I understand how to look at research, examine how it was conducted, interpret it against other findings in the field, and apply it clinically.
And my last dog and I were a therapy team that visited schools, nursing homes, and senior centers. So I have been looking at animal assisted research for years because I love it!
Hi, I’m Michelle
I’ve been working in mental health since 2010 and struggling with anxiety for oh, idk, maybe my entire life.
And with my lived experience having anxiety, I know what works, what doesn’t, and what makes things feel worse. In here, you’re not alone, and I’ll work with you to shed the shame along with the anxiety. And by using evidence-based practices, I’ll help you recover, not just feel better.