Pets' unconditional love can manage mental health issues

New Delhi: A recent finding states that if one gets an unconditional love and support from his/her pet, it might help to deal with mental health issues in the long term.

Researchers from the University of Manchester suggested that pets should be considered as main source of support in the management of long-term mental health problems.

"The people we spoke to, through the course of this study, felt their pet played a range of positive roles such as helping them to manage stigma associated with their mental health by providing acceptance without judgement," said lead study author Dr Helen Brooks from the University of Manchester.

"Pets were also considered particularly useful during times of crisis. In this way, pets provided a unique form of validation through unconditional support, which they were often not receiving from other family or social relationships. Despite the identified benefits of pet ownership, pets were neither considered nor incorporated into the individual care plans for any of the people in our study," Brooks added.