The human-animal connection is hard to deny, especially when there’s science to back it up. Studies have regularly suggested that animals can have an immense effect on a person’s physical and mental health, so much so that service animals and emotional support animals are often recommended by licensed mental health professionals.
Emotional support animals (ESAs) offer nontraditional mental health support. Their physical presence and ability to intuit a person’s emotions make them well-equipped to provide mental health support for people struggling with mental health disorders. Whether you’ve just heard of ESAs or have been considering getting an animal for emotional support for a while, here’s a closer look at the emotional and physical perks of ESAs.
What Are Emotional Support Animals?
Emotional support animals are companions that offer emotional and physical support for people navigating mental health issues. Their presence alone has a therapeutic effect on their owners, making them a non-traditional approach to treating the symptoms of mental health challenges—animal-assisted therapy.
Emotional support animals are not to be confused with service animals or therapy animals. While they are both assistance animals, service animals are highly trained to perform specific tasks to help their owners navigate the physical and emotional challenges of living with a disability. Therapy dogs also complete rigorous training and are typically certified by an animal assistance organization. Unlike service animals, ESAs don’t require any special training and help to improve mental health difficulties just by being in proximity to you.
When all is said and done, emotional support animals are the most widely accessible. Any animal can be an emotional support pet so long as it provides psychological support and relief.
Emotional Benefits of Emotional Support Animals
A key characteristic of emotional support animals is the emotional relief they give their owners. Two common emotional benefits are alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression, and providing unconditional love and support. Let’s take a closer look.
Alleviating Anxiety and Depression
For people with mental health conditions, emotional support animals can help provide relief from anxiety and depression. A recent study reported that 86% of animal owners feel that their pet has a positive impact on their mental health, with 69% of respondents saying they felt less anxious or stressed because of their pet. For people struggling with anxiety or depression, the presence of an emotional support animal can be game-changing.
The presence of your emotional support animal can serve as a distraction from anxiety and depression spirals, grounding you in the present moment instead. Even though these moments of escape may be brief for some people, an opportunity to escape from anxious thoughts can be a source of hope and regrounding for many.
Providing Unconditional Love and Support
Anxiety and depression are often linked. For both, a prominent symptom is distress or an inability to fully engage in social situations, work, or other activities that involve interacting and working with others. Emotional support animals provide unconditional love and companionship that can often counteract anxious or depressive thoughts.
Studies even show that the presence of an ESA can help reduce a person’s feelings of loneliness and isolation. Through the animal’s unwavering companionship and support, the study found that 54% of owners surveyed reported that their ESA helps them to connect with other people. This statistic suggests that unconditional acceptance from an ESA boosts a person’s self-esteem and emotional stability so that they can engage with other people without worried, anxious thoughts.
Physical Benefits of ESAs
Emotional support animals offer benefits that go beyond emotional health and psychological well-being. There are many physical benefits of ESAs, from increased physical activity to lower stress levels.
Encouraging Physical Activity
From distracting your mind from anxious spirals to boosting serotonin levels in the brain, experts have proven the power exercise has to impact our mental health. Research shows that even a single, 10-minute walk can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. People struggling with their mental health may find that an emotional support animal is one of the best ways to increase their physical activity levels, which serves as a natural mood booster.
A recent report found that 60% of dog owners meet the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per walk. On average, regular exercise lowers cortisol levels in the body, which in turn reduces the negative impact of stress and anxiety.
But you don’t need a dog to get the mental health benefits of physical activity. Simply playing with your cat or bending down to feed your rabbit counts as a physical activity and opens you up to the therapeutic benefits of emotional support animals. They get you up and moving, working to boost the serotonin levels in your brain. And you also get the mental boost from knowing that you have an animal that loves you and relies on you to keep them happy and healthy.
Reducing Stress Levels
Your ESA can help reduce stress just by its calming presence. Research agrees that simply petting a dog or cat can lower your stress levels. As you stroke your four-legged friend, the brain releases oxytocin into the body, which effectively boosts your mood and feelings of connection to the animal.
The power of this emotional support animal benefit was shown in a study conducted with post-traumatic stress disorder patients. Here, 84% of participants with PTSD reported a reduction in their symptoms as soon as they got an ESA.
The Science Behind Healing with ESAs
When it comes to the science behind the effects of an ESA, the data is there to show that emotional support animals can have a positive impact on your emotional and physical health.
In one study at the University of Toledo, researchers found that participants who interacted with their emotional support animal in ten-minute segments showed biological markers of improved mental health—the cortisol levels in their bloodstream lowered and the amount of oxytocin had increased. At the end of twelve months, researchers noted that the study’s participants had the highest oxytocin levels yet.
Another study conducted a stress test on participants. The stress test asked participants to place their hands in a bucket of ice water or perform a math problem. They did one of these activities without the presence of their ESA, and then again with their ESA next to them. The second time participants did the stress test, they had a significantly reduced reaction to the stressful stimulus because they had their emotional support animal by their side.
Both examples point to animals reducing the physical presence of stress hormones in the body. Additionally, some studies also point to animals alleviating feelings of loneliness and isolation. In a study conducted on a group of pet and non-pet owners, 76% of participants felt that interacting with animals can help reduce feelings of social isolation. What’s more, is that 85% of the study participants felt that pets help reduce loneliness, one of the hallmark symptoms of anxiety and depression. For individuals considering an emotional support animal registration, this data highlights the potential emotional benefits of having a companion animal.
Personal Stories: How ESAs Have Transformed Lives
Veterans with PTSD, anxiety, or depression may benefit greatly from an emotional support animal. The non-profit, Pets for Vets, exemplifies the power that emotional support animals can have in their owners’ lives. This program matches animals with veterans to help ease their return from overseas and provide unconditional love and companionship.
Emotional support animals have also been shown to impact the lives of seniors. A study found that older adults with an animal companion were less depressed and reported higher levels of mental well-being.
How to Get an ESA
Getting an emotional support animal may provide numerous, life-changing health benefits. Fortunately, the process of acquiring one is easy and only requires a few steps:
- Understand the ESA eligibility criteria
- Make an in-person or virtual appointment with a licensed mental health professional (LMHP)
- Attend your appointment and express your interest in getting an ESA letter
- Get your approved ESA letter from your LMHP
- Submit your ESA letter to your landlord to let them know you qualify for disability assistance
It’s essential to meet with a licensed mental health professional. The only legally valid ESA-related document is a letter from an LMHP. This letter must have their practice’s letterhead, license number, signature, and a statement confirming that you have a mental disability and would benefit from an emotional support animal. Beware of websites promising you an ESA “ID card” or “certificate”—these aren’t legally valid ESA documents!
If you don’t already have a pet that you’d like to be your ESA, then it comes time to get one! There are a few things to consider before bringing your new animal home:
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- Temperament: Some animals have more energy and attitude than others. Some dog breeds are high-energy and require a lot of hands-on training and care. If that doesn’t feel right for you, cats, turtles, hamsters, and even birds can all make excellent ESAs without the same energy requirement as a dog.
- Breed characteristics: Even if you know the type of animal you want, there can be many differences between breeds! It’s generally recommended to choose an ESA with a gentle, calm temperament. Stay away from aggressive animals that may add stress to your life.
- Your lifestyle: If you work long hours, a more hands-off animal may be best for you. But if you work from home, you may do well with a dog or another animal that demands more of your attention and time. Other considerations are travel, kids, and the type of housing you live in.
Legal Considerations for ESA Owners
Emotional support animals are legally protected under the Fair Housing Act. This law protects people from discrimination when seeking a home, mortgage, or housing assistance. What this means for you is that you cannot be denied having an emotional support animal in a non-animal home if a licensed mental health professional states that you need an ESA.
Of course, there are limitations to this law as well. States like California and Arkansas have additional laws limiting how ESA letters are given. It’s important to double-check your state’s ESA laws to know what to expect as you move through the process.
ESAs are no longer protected for air travel, due to the changes the Department of Travel made to the Air Carrier Access Act in 2021. However, some airlines still permit ESAs on flights. Just know that you may have to pay an added fee to take your emotional support pet on board.
When it comes to other public places, like grocery stores or schools, always consult with the establishment before taking your ESA. Unfortunately, ESAs don’t have the same access as service animals; so, just because service animals are allowed in a building doesn’t necessarily mean ESAs are also permitted. For more details on where your ESA is allowed and what steps you can take, services like Pettable can guide you through the process.
Conclusion
Science continues to show that emotional support animals offer numerous holistic health benefits. From the emotional benefits, like alleviating anxiety symptoms or reducing loneliness, to the physical benefits of increased activity and social engagement, ESAs help manage symptoms of mental and emotional distress in more ways than one.
The profound effect ESAs can have on the mental health of their owners is far reaching, especially when considering that these companions need no special training. With a simple, streamlined process, ESA letters are an accessible form of mental health support that offers potentially life-changing support.
Even if you’re questioning whether an ESA is right for you, take the free online quiz (https://pettable.com/get-started) to find out.
FAQ Section
What is the difference between an ESA and a service animal?
An emotional support animal (ESA) provides comfort and companionship to help ease emotional or mental health symptoms. Their primary role is offering calming support simply through their presence, without any special training. On the other hand, service animals are highly trained to perform specific tasks to assist individuals with disabilities. These tasks can include guiding a person who is blind, alerting someone with epilepsy of an impending seizure, or helping someone with mobility issues. Service animals undergo rigorous training to become certified, unlike ESAs which do not require specialized training.
Can any pet be an ESA?
Yes, any pet can be an emotional support animal (ESA). The key factor is the relief and comfort you experience from the presence of your pet, helping you manage the symptoms of your mental health condition. Whether it’s a dog, cat, rabbit, or even a bird, as long as your pet provides emotional and physical support and helps you cope with challenges like anxiety, depression, or stress, they can qualify as your ESA. There are no specific breed or species requirements for an animal to be an ESA.
How do I know if I qualify for an ESA?
You may qualify for an emotional support animal (ESA) if you struggle with mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, or other similar challenges. However, to officially qualify, a licensed mental health professional will need to evaluate your condition. If they determine that an ESA can help alleviate symptoms of your mental health condition, they can provide you with an ESA letter, which confirms your need for the support of an emotional support animal.
Are there specific breeds best suited as ESAs?
The best breed or type of emotional support animal (ESA) depends on your personal needs and lifestyle. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance option, animals like rabbits, hamsters, or cats may be ideal due to their calm demeanor and lower care requirements. For more active individuals, dogs are a popular choice as they provide companionship but also require more hands-on care and physical exercise. Miniature ponies can also serve as excellent ESAs for those who may prefer a larger, more interactive animal.
What are the legal requirements for having an ESA?
To legally have an emotional support animal (ESA), you need to be diagnosed with a mental health condition or disability by a licensed mental health professional. Once diagnosed, the professional must provide an ESA letter that confirms your need for the animal. The letter should include the professional’s name, license number, contact information, and signature, verifying that you have a condition that benefits from the emotional support provided by the animal. This letter is required to access certain legal protections for your ESA.