Researchers from the University of Lincoln have found that dogs in classrooms reduce stress in students.
They measured students’ stress levels using the hormone cortisol in their saliva. They studied 105 students from 4 mainstream schools and 44 people from 7 social needs schools in the UK.
The children were split into 3 groups. One spent 20 mins with the dog, one did meditation, and one was a control group, meaning they did neither. The researchers found that the amount of hormone cortisol in the dog group was much lower than the meditation and control groups.
The study also found that the dog group’s stress level was lowest immediately after their sessions with the doggies.“Dog-assisted interventions* can lead to lower stress levels in schoolchildren with and without special educational needs,” the researchers found.
They measured students’ stress levels using the hormone cortisol in their saliva. They studied 105 students from 4 mainstream schools and 44 people from 7 social needs schools in the UK.
The children were split into 3 groups. One spent 20 mins with the dog, one did meditation, and one was a control group, meaning they did neither. The researchers found that the amount of hormone cortisol in the dog group was much lower than the meditation and control groups.
The study also found that the dog group’s stress level was lowest immediately after their sessions with the doggies.“Dog-assisted interventions* can lead to lower stress levels in schoolchildren with and without special educational needs,” the researchers found.
