Strong attachment to a pet can ease depression, anxiety

A strong emotional attachment to a pet--particularly a dog--could help ease depression and anxiety, especially among adults who were victims of childhood abuse, a recent study suggests. For all adults in the study, researchers found associations between high scores on questionnaires of pet attachment and lower scores on measures of depression and anxiety. Associations were strongest for adults who reported abuse as children. According to the researchers, the findings suggest that future research on the topic could yield new strategies for preventing and treating depression and anxiety in people who have experienced childhood abuse.