Oxytocin levels and self-reported anxiety during interactions between humans and cows

Frontiers in Psychology

Psychology

Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg¹  Ruth C. Newberry²  Judit Vas²  Gunn Pedersen²  Bente Berget³ 

[1] Department of Animal Environment and Health, Section of Anthrozoology and Applied Ethology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden;Faculty of Biosciences, Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway;Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Department of Health, Social and Welfare Studies, University of South-Eastern Norway, Borre, Norway;Department of Health and Society, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS, Kristiansand, Norway;

关键词: animal-assisted intervention;    cow;    human–animal interaction;    oxytocin;    anxiety;    green care;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1252463

 received in 2023-07-03, accepted in 2023-09-01,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionPositive social interactions with farm animals may have therapeutic benefits on humans by increasing brain oxytocin secretion, as inferred from circulating oxytocin levels. The aim of this observational study was to investigate acute changes in human plasma oxytocin levels and state anxiety associated with interactions with dairy cows.MethodsData were collected from 18 healthy female nursing students who performed stroking and brushing of an unfamiliar cow for 15 min. Blood samples were drawn before entering the cowshed (T1, baseline), and after 5 (T2) and 15 (T3) min of interaction with a cow. At T1 and T3, the students filled out the Norwegian version of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State Subscale (STAI-SS).ResultsAcross participants, no significant changes in average plasma oxytocin concentration were detected between time points (p>0.05). There was, however, a modest decline in the STAI-SS scores between T1 and T3 (p=0.015) and a positive correlation between the change in individual level of state anxiety between T1 and T3 and the change in OT concentration of the same individual between T2 and T3 (p = 0.045).DiscussionThe results suggest that friendly social interactions with cows are beneficial in lowering state anxiety, but any relationship with release of OT into the circulation was complex and variable across individuals. The acute reduction in state anxiety lends support to the value of interacting with farm animals in the context of Green Care for people with mental health challenges.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Berget, Vas, Pedersen, Uvnäs-Moberg and Newberry.