Swimming with dolphins lifts depression

Swimming with dolphins appears to be an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression, according to new U.K. research.

The randomized controlled study was conducted at the Roatan Institutefor Marine Sciences in Honduras and involved outpatients recruited from the United States and Honduras from November 2002 thru December 2003.

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A total of 30 people with mild or moderate &to=http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/360/15176_whipping.html' target=_blank>depression were involved: Half of them were assigned to swim and snorkel with bottlenose dolphins for an hour a day for two weeks. The rest also swam and snorkeled but not in the presence of dolphins.

All the study volunteers discontinued antidepressant drugs or psychotherapy at least four weeks before the start of the study and did not take any drugs during the study, the researchers said, informs Forbes.

According to Times Online, all got a bit better, as might be expected, but those who swam with dolphins showed a significantly greater improvement, the scientists reported.

Depression was measured in two ways, using accepted scoring methods, and by each measure the &to=http://english.pravda.ru/comp/2002/06/14/30354.html' target=_blank>dolphin group did better. They were also less anxious, but this change did not reach statistical significance.

"The effects exerted by the animals were significantly greater than those of just the natural setting" concluded Professor Michael Reveley and Christian Antonioli. Although the patients were randomly allocated to the groups, the trial was not truly double-blind since it must have been apparent to all that some were getting a treat that others were being denied.

One reason for the findings could be the emotions raised by the interaction with the dolphins, the researchers said.

The psychologist June McNicholas said that research has suggested that pet ownership is linked with a reduced risk of heart disease, lower use of GP services and a lower risk of asthma and allergies in young children.

"People do not own pets specifically to enhance their health; rather, they value the relationship and the contribution their pet makes to their quality of life" the article says. O.Ch.

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