Rather than twisting off a cap of a prescription bottle and downing a pill or two with a swig of water, a rather unique form of treatment for mental illnesses is the use of emotional support animals (ESA for short). Contrary to service animals, an emotional support animal is not trained for a specific task other than providing comfort to someone suffering from a mental illness. ESAs have no restrictions on the breed or species of animal and can range from dogs to cats and even reptiles. Emotional support animals are normally the person’s pet before they are registered and therefore are hard to distinguish from other pets. While there is some controversy for the use of emotional support animals, consistent results from research and studies suggests
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Industrial psychologist, C.W. Von Bergen, reinstates the argument in his article that if one student was allowed an emotional support animal, it would be unfair to deny the other requests. However, he indulges further as he lists various case studies and research that are similar those found in the previous decade. For example, a study regarding the benefits of animal companionship displayed “unique benefits [for] those individuals with mental or psychiatric disorders” (The Delta Society, n.d.). Melinda Phillips, Director of Disability Services at Mansfield University, also recognizes the palliative effect of emotional support animals. She goes on to affirm the advantageous benefits provided by an ESA which include building student success and decreasing anxiety. While the opposing view has remained consistent over the decades, Phillips includes a few more additional components to it. She adds the perspective of professors in regard to implications of student focus in a classroom setting. The final proponent is the concept that emotional support animals are a means to avoid seeking medical treatments such as therapy or medication (Phillips
Industrial psychologist, C.W. Von Bergen, reinstates the argument in his article that if one student was allowed an emotional support animal, it would be unfair to deny the other requests. However, he indulges further as he lists various case studies and research that are similar those found in the previous decade. For example, a study regarding the benefits of animal companionship displayed “unique benefits [for] those individuals with mental or psychiatric disorders” (The Delta Society, n.d.). Melinda Phillips, Director of Disability Services at Mansfield University, also recognizes the palliative effect of emotional support animals. She goes on to affirm the advantageous benefits provided by an ESA which include building student success and decreasing anxiety. While the opposing view has remained consistent over the decades, Phillips includes a few more additional components to it. She adds the perspective of professors in regard to implications of student focus in a classroom setting. The final proponent is the concept that emotional support animals are a means to avoid seeking medical treatments such as therapy or medication (Phillips