Aunque hay pruebas de que las mascotas son excelentes para frenar la soledad y aumentar la actividad física, otros supuestos beneficios pueden no estar tan arraigados en la ciencia como algunos creen.

Hace tiempo que se dice que el perro es el mejor amigo del hombre. Es una valoración que suele basarse en el comportamiento del perro: su lealtad, amor y afán de complacer. Dueños de mascotas como Sharon Reid, de Grand Rapids, Michigan (Estados Unidos), dice haber experimentado esa devoción de primera mano: "Tras la muerte de mi marido, mi perro fue la constante más fiable en mi vida para ayudarme a superar los difíciles meses que siguieron".

Entre los beneficios para la salud más ampliamente comprendidos y aceptados de la tenencia de animales de compañía está que éstos proporcionan mejores estrategias para afrontar el estrés, pueden fomentar una mayor empatía y compasión, y que su compañía "puede proteger a las personas de los estragos de la soledad", afirma Alan Beck, profesor de ecología animal y director del Centro para el Vínculo Humano-Animal de la Universidad Purdue de Indiana (Estados Unidos).

Estos beneficios se reflejan en una encuesta reciente de la Asociación Americana de Psiquiatría, que reveló que el 86% de los propietarios sienten que sus mascotas tienen un impacto mayoritariamente positivo en su salud mental; y que alrededor del 90% considera al animal como un miembro más de la familia.

Pero entender hasta qué punto las mascotas contribuyen a la salud mental y el bienestar de sus dueños es objeto de cierto debate entre los estudiosos. Aunque la mayoría de los académicos coinciden en que ciertos beneficios están bien establecidos, otros pueden no estar tan arraigados en la evidencia científica como algunos creen.

Although there is evidence that pets are great for curbing loneliness and increasing physical activity, other purported benefits may not be as rooted in science as some believe.

It has long been said that the dog is man's best friend. It is an assessment that is usually based on the dog's behavior: its loyalty, love, and eagerness to please. Pet owners like Sharon Reid of Grand Rapids, Michigan, say she experienced that devotion firsthand: “After my husband died, my dog was the most reliable constant in my life to help me get through the difficult months that followed.”

Among the most widely understood and accepted health benefits of pet ownership is that pets provide better strategies for coping with stress, can foster greater empathy and compassion, and that their companionship “can protect people from the ravages of loneliness,” says Alan Beck, professor of animal ecology and director of the Center for Human-Animal Bonding at Indiana Purdue University.

These benefits are reflected in a ​recent survey​ ​by the American Psychiatric Association, which revealed that 86% of owners feel that their pets have a mostly positive impact on their mental health; and that about 90% consider the animal as a member of the family.  

But understanding the extent to which pets contribute to the mental health and well-being of their owners is the subject of some debate among scholars. While most scholars agree that certain benefits are well established, others may not be as rooted in scientific evidence as some believe. 

Although there is evidence that pets are great for curbing loneliness and increasing physical activity, other supposed benefits may not be as rooted in science as some believe.

It has long been said that the dog is man's best friend. It is an assessment that is usually based on the dog's behavior: his loyalty, love, and eagerness to please. Pet owners like Sharon Reid, from Grand Rapids, Michigan (United States), say they have experienced that devotion firsthand: "After the death of my husband, my dog was the most reliable constant in my life to help me get through the difficult months that followed."   

Among the most widely understood and accepted health benefits of owning companion animals is that they provide better coping strategies for stress, can foster greater empathy and compassion, and that their companionship "can protect people from the ravages of loneliness," says Alan Beck, professor of animal ecology and director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University in Indiana (United States). 

These benefits are reflected in a recent survey from the American Psychiatric Association, which revealed that 86% of owners feel that their pets have a mostly positive impact on their mental health and that about 90% consider the animal as another member of the family. 

But understanding to what extent pets contribute to the mental health and well-being of their owners is the subject of some debate among scholars. While most academics agree that certain benefits are well established, others may not be as rooted in scientific evidence as some believe.