National Campaign Showcases the Importance of Joining Forces With 'Man's Best Friend' in Overcoming Depression
June 05 2007 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Emmy-Winning Actress Helps People Incorporate Their Dog into a
Support Network INDIANAPOLIS, June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
While many people with depression turn to family and friends for
support, research has shown that enlisting the help of an
unexpected companion -- a dog -- may also have a positive effect on
overall health and well-being(i). As part of her commitment to
helping people with the illness, Emmy Award-winning actress, Linda
Dano, is leading Support Partners: Canine Companions, a new program
that offers practical tips on how to expand support networks by
incorporating dogs into the recovery process. The program is
sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company and the Psychiatric Service Dog
Society. "Depression is an illness often associated with strong
social stigma, causing people to withdraw from their lives,
intensifying the emotional symptoms of the illness, like sadness
and feelings of worthlessness," said Rakesh Jain, M.D., M.P.H.,
director of psychiatric drug research, R/D Clinical Research
Center, Lake Jackson, Texas. "While a doctor, family and friends
should form the basis of any support network, dogs can play an
important role by being a constant companion. They can help reduce
these emotional symptoms, while possibly helping other symptoms,
like fatigue or lack of energy, with daily walks." Research has
shown that there are many potential benefits to having a dog that
correlate to areas health-care professionals believe can help
people with depression. * The majority of pet owners feel their
pets are extremely important when they are sad, lonely or
depressed.(ii) * Dogs can provide the desirable qualities of a best
friend, like listening, physical contact and empathy.(iii) * Half
of people with a dog believe that their pet makes a major
difference to their lives, ranking increased exercise and
companionship as the two most important differences.(iv) * Talking
to dogs is related to greater life satisfaction and better physical
and mental health.(v) Linda Dano, Support Partners: Canine
Companions spokesperson, has personally experienced the benefits a
dog can have in helping to manage depression. "As someone who has
always been a dog-owner, my Lhasa apsos, Mo and Charlie, became
more important to me than ever when I was diagnosed with
depression," says Dano. "I started getting help from my physician
and support from my friends, and soon realized that my dogs also
gave me a sense of comfort, purpose and companionship. Many days
when all I wanted was to stay in bed, alone, I knew I had to get up
to take care of Mo and Charlie and comfort them as they comforted
me." Support Partners: Canine Companions offers a brochure that
provides information about the benefits of dogs, the different
levels of support a dog can offer someone with depression and easy,
practical ways pet owners can immediately work with their dogs to
include them in their support network. The brochure also provides
those who are unsure if they have depression information about the
illness and how to take the first step of asking for help. "There
are many simple things you can do with your dog if you're depressed
that may help you feel better," explains Joan Esnayra, Ph.D.,
president of the Psychiatric Service Dog Society, a nonprofit
organization that works with mental-health consumers who wish to
train their dogs to assist with the management of depression.
"Taking your dog for a walk can help you get some exercise.
Teaching your dog a new trick can give you a sense of
accomplishment. Even petting your dog can help with your recovery
by relieving stress and anxiety." About the Support Partners
Program Support Partners: Canine Companions is the newest component
of the Support Partners program, a national educational campaign
dedicated to people with depression and to those who care about
them. Co-sponsored by the National Women's Health Resource Center
(NWHRC), the Support Partners program aims to open the lines of
communication about the illness and encourages a support- team
approach to overcoming depression. Support Partners offers three
guidebooks that provide tips for people with depression, and those
who care about them, on how to form a support network. Copies of
the guidebooks can be obtained by visiting
http://www.supportpartnersprogram.com/. About Depression Up to 19
million Americans per year are diagnosed with major depressive
disorder.(vi),(vii) It can happen to anyone of any age, race or
ethnic group(viii); however, women are nearly twice as likely to
experience depression as men.(ix) Depression is a serious medical
condition with a variety of symptoms, such as sadness, loss of
interest, fatigue, changes in appetite or weight, or bodily aches
and pains.(x) For some, depression can include thoughts of death or
suicide.(xi) The goal of treatment is to help people with
depression feel more like themselves, so they can move forward with
their lives. Depression symptoms that don't go away completely can
prevent people with depression from getting fully well and may
increase the risk of symptoms coming back. Nobody should settle for
feeling only slightly better. With the right treatment and support,
recovering from depression is possible. About the Psychiatric
Service Dog Society The Psychiatric Service Dog Society (PSDS) is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to responsible
Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) education, advocacy, research and
training facilitation. It provides essential information for
persons disabled by severe mental illness who wish to train a
service dog to assist with the management of symptoms. The PSDS
consults regularly with mental health-care providers in their
efforts to learn more about PSD. The organization also hosts an
online community of veteran and new service-dog handlers. The PSDS
does not provide or train dogs for individuals. It is an
educational and capacity-building organization dedicated to
responsible psychiatric service dog community stewardship. Please
visit http://www.psychdog.org/ for more information. About Lilly
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a
growing portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class
pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its
own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent
scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind.,
Lilly provides answers -- through medicines and information -- for
some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional
information about Lilly is available at http://www.lilly.com/.
O-LLY (i) Serpell, J.A. Evidence for long term effects of pet
ownership on human health. Pets, Benefits and Practice. Waltham
Symposium 20. April 19, 1990. (ii) The Delta Society. "The Healthy
Pleasure of Their Company: Companion Animals and Human Health" by
Karen Allen, School of Medicine, State University of New York at
Buffalo. Available at
http://www.deltasociety.org/TextOnly/AnimalsHealthCompanionComp3.htm.
Accessed April 17, 2007. (iii) Allen, Karen. "Coping with Life
Changes & Transitions: The Role of Pet." (iv) Serpell, J.A.
Evidence for long term effects of pet ownership on human health.
Pets, Benefits and Practice. Waltham Symposium 20. April 19, 1990.
(v) Allen, Karen. "Coping with Life Changes & Transitions: The
Role of Pet." (vi) Kessler, Ronald et al. "Prevalence, Severity,
and Comorbidity of 12- Month DSM-IV Disorders in the National
Comorbidity Survey Replication." Arch Gen Psychiatry. June 2005.
62: 617-709. (vii) United States Census 2000, Population as of
April 1, 2000. Available at
http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html. Accessed May 10, 2007.
(viii) Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. About Mood
Disorders. Available at:
http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_MDOverview.
Accessed April 24, 2007. (ix) National Institute of Mental Health.
Depression Research at the National Institute of Mental Health:
Fact Sheet. Available at
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depression.cfm#ptdep1. Accessed
April 4, 2007. (x) American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed., Text Revision.
Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000:345-428. (xi)
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders. 4th ed., Text Revision. Washington DC:
American Psychiatric Association; 2000:345-428. DATASOURCE: Eli
Lilly and Company CONTACT: Tamara Hull of Eli Lilly and Company,
+1-317-651-9116,
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