Name: Depressed dogs, cats with OCD — what animal madness means for us humans
Uploaded: 2014-08-21T14:29:17Z
Duration: 19 min 18 s
Description: Behind those funny animal videos, sometimes, are oddly human-like problems. Laurel Braitman studies non-human animals who exhibit signs of mental health issues -- from compulsive bears to self-destructive rats to monkeys with unlikely friends. Braitman asks what we as humans can learn from watching animals cope with depression, sadness and other all-too-human problems.

Behind those funny animal videos, sometimes, are oddly human-like problems. Laurel Braitman studies non-human animals who exhibit signs of mental health issues -- from compulsive bears to self-destructive rats to monkeys with unlikely friends. Braitman asks what we as humans can learn from watching animals cope with depression, sadness and other all-too-human problems.

Laurel Braitman: Depressed dogs, cats with OCD — what animal madness means for us humans

Depressed dogs, cats with OCD — what animal madness means for us humans

Author, professor, secular chaplain-in-training

Exploring animal mental health reveals similarities to humans, from OCD cats to depressed dogs, offering insights into our own psyche.

Animals, like humans, can suffer and recover from mental trauma, showing that empathy and companionship are universal healers.

Mental health is a two-way street: caring for animals with mental struggles teaches us empathy and enriches our understanding of well-being.