Some doctors have consistently said that people would be amazed at how the most mundane things can turn out to be effective treatments for a problem or two. One of the most recent examples of this comes in the form of a study on mental health. The published data reveals that psychological and neurological conditions that can leave a person mentally handicapped can be reduced in intensity by doing a little farm work. In particular, caring for farm animals ? and performing routine tasks associated with said animals ? appears to have observable positive effects on people with a wide range of mental illnesses. Really, this isn't all that surprising when one considers that studies have consistently shown that interaction with animals like cats and dogs have helped improve the quality of life for many mental health patients.

It is known that interacting with animals somehow boosts a person's mood, and can often help relieve some symptoms of a mental disorder. In American and European communities, some areas have set aside farm and nature areas specifically for the purpose of helping mental health patients relax in a nature-themed atmosphere. The results of such areas has never really been put into much scrutiny, though anecdotal evidence suggests that they have some very positive effects on those who regularly engage in such activities or go to such locations. The elderly and the depressed have also benefited greatly from programs that allow them to interact with animals like cats and dogs. An experimental Japanese public health program has found that similar, though less effective, results could be obtained by giving elderly and mentally ill patients access to specifically programmed robotic animals.

A Norwegian research team decided to test out how effective farm animals and tasks were at helping people with a range of common disorders, such as anxiety, depression, manic depression, schizophrenia, and a variety of personality disorders. The researchers also made sure that all of them were taking medication prior to being put into the farm, with some groups being taken off their prescription medication upon arrival, while others were allowed to retain their prescriptions. The drugs were a veritable cocktail containing prescription antidepressants, anti-psychotic medication, mood stabilizers, and anti-anxiety drugs. The group that was allowed to retain their medication received only standard psychiatric care, and was separated from the ones that participated in the farm activities.

The researchers have found that the patients who were on the farm had better coping skills than those who did not try the ?farm therapy.? There was also a boost in self-confidence for many patients, especially after learning a skill or two that involved the animals. For most of the participants, the animal interaction helped produce tangible results similar to what could be achieved by taking prescription medication. Researchers believe this is related to how the patients are interacting with another living being, which has always been seen as a potential avenue for treatment and therapy in the realm of mental health. It is believed that the interaction with the animals simulated a pleasurable, safe social interaction that helped boost the patient's ability to handle new situations that they could not handle properly before.