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It has often been dismissed as a New Age cure, but swimming with dolphins can be good for your health according to new research. The activity was used to successfully treat mild to moderate depression.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that swimming with the creatures led to falling levels of depressive symptoms in patients.
The findings support the theory of biophilia - showing how human health and wellbeing are dependent on relationships with the natural environment.
The research, partly carried out by Leicester University Medical School, appears in a special human and animal health issue of the BMJ, highlighting the impact nature has on people's well-being.
The study was carried out in Honduras, with 30 patients diagnosed with mild or moderate depression. For two weeks half of the group swam and snorkelled with dolphins for an hour a day.
At the same time the control group carried out the same type of water activities, but with the absence of dolphins to control for the influence of water and the natural setting.
All patients stopped antidepressant treatment or psychotherapy at least four weeks before taking part in the study, with depression scores measured at the start and end of treatment.
The researchers found that the average severity of the depressive symptoms reduced more in the dolphin group than in the water therapy group. They said: "Depressive symptoms improved after two weeks of treatment.
"In conventional therapy - psychotherapy or drug therapy - symptoms usually improve substantially after four weeks."
The researchers said that the overall reduction in symptoms of anxiety in both groups may be explained by the therapeutic property of water.
They said that the effects exerted by the dolphins were significantly greater than those just in the natural setting of water.
One reason for the findings could be the emotions raised by the interaction with the dolphins, the researchers said.
Three months after the study ended, both groups of patients reported a lasting improvement and did not require treatment. |
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