Dolphin therapy for depression

University of Leicester researchers have found that Swimming with dolphins alleviate mild to moderate depression. All the volunteers who took part in the trial stopped taking antidepressant drugs or undergoing psychotherapy at least four weeks before the start of the experiment. The researchers say dolphins' aesthetic value, and the emotions raised by the interaction may be the factors inducing healing properties. Dolphin therapy is already used to help children undergoing rehabilitation for a range of conditions. This is a shot in the arm for pet assisted therapy. The study is published in the British Medical Journal.