Being around their pets has been found to boost a person’s mental health. Pet owners have reported less stress when around their furry friends, and many feel that their dog or cat helps them cope with physical or emotional pain. Do these benefits extend to wildlife, though? According to a new study, they might.

Researchers at UMass Chan Medical School recently studied how a nature/wildlife immersion program impacted veterans with PTSD or PTSD symptoms. The team says animal assisted interventions are one method that may help improve a person’s mental health, including cases in which someone is suffering from PTSD. They chose to focus on wildlife rather than pets in these interactions because most research has focused on the latter. 

To conduct their study, published in the journal Human-Animal Interactions, the researchers recruited 19 veterans who, over an average time period of 15 weeks, took part in several wildlife and nature interactions. Those included a baseline forest walk, helping care for wildlife at a rehab center, watching wildlife at a sanctuary, and bird watching. All of these activities, which were done twice each, were bolstered with education. After the study period wrapped, the participants were given bird feeders so they could continue to connect with wildlife.

Through observation, post-activity surveys, follow-up interviews, and mental and physical health measurements, the team found that participants had a significant reduction in anxiety. There was also an increased value for animals, which was linked with a reduction in depression and improved mental wellbeing. Benefits were particularly felt when an animal chose to engage with the participant, and there were found to be more benefits from wildlife interactions than merely a forest walk.

Dr. Donna Perry, the study’s first author from UMass Chan Medical School, says, “The study supports that placing veterans in an environment where they can connect with animals that have also undergone loss and suffering may foster healing in the veterans themselves.

“Being exposed to and assisting with care of injured wildlife also raises awareness of the effects of humans on the environment and may enhance conservation attitudes. This suggests that settings providing wildlife care and public education may be mutually beneficial for both human and beyond-human animals.”

Going forward, the researchers would like to see larger studies on how these interactions can benefit humans and animals, as well as research pairing animal-assisted therapies with formal therapeutic treatments.

You can read the whole study here.