Depression, anxiety, and happiness in dog owners and potential dog owners during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Major life events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, affect psychological and physiological health. Social support, or the lack thereof, can modulate these effects. The context of the COVID-19 pandemic offered a unique opportunity to better understand how dogs may provide social support for their owners and buffer heightened symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression and contribute to happiness during a major global crisis. Participants (768 pet dog owners and 767 potential pet dog owners) answered an online survey, including validated depression, anxiety, happiness psychometric scales, attitude to and commitment towards pet, and perceived social support. Potential pet dog owners were defined as individuals who did not own a dog at the time of the survey but would be very or extremely interested in owning one in the future. Dog owners reported having significantly more social support available to them compared to potential dog owners, and their depression scores were also lower, compared to potential dog owners. There were no differences in anxiety and happiness scores between the two groups. Dog owners had a significantly more positive attitude towards and commitment to pets. Taken together, our results suggest that dog ownership may have provided people with a stronger sense of social support, which in turn may have helped buffer some of the negative psychological impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Individuals’ quality of life linked to major life events, perceived social support, and personality traits

Quality of Life Research ◽

10.1007/s11136-016-1296-4 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 25 (11) ◽

pp. 2897-2908 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Cornelia Pocnet ◽

Jean-Philippe Antonietti ◽

Marie-Pierre F. Strippoli ◽

Jennifer Glaus ◽

Martin Preisig ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Social Support ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Life Events ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Major Life Events ◽

Major Life

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Assessment of Self-Reported Mental Health and Acculturation Stress Among Foreign-Born and U.S.-Born Latinos in Immokalee, Florida: A Pilot Study

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences ◽

10.5590/jsbhs.2020.14.1.03 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Payal Kahar ◽

Lirio K Negroni

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Life Events ◽

The United States ◽

Acculturation Stress ◽

Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽

Foreign Born ◽

Major Life Events ◽

Major Life ◽

Educational Levels

The population of Immokalee in Southwest Florida is 75% Latinos, with nearly half being foreign-born. Several documented stressors contribute to poor mental health among Latinos. However, little is known about Latinos’ mental health in this region. This study sought to assess self-rated mental health (SRMH) and acculturation stress (AS) and predict SRMH based on stress from life events, AS, sociodemographic characteristics, and social support among U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinos. Face-to-face interviews and assisted self-administered surveys were used to collect information among 158 Latinos on sociodemographic characteristics, AS, major life events that caused stress, social support, and SRMH. AS was elicited by asking three questions (Cronbach’s a = .84), total stress level was determined by 10 major life events, and social support was elicited by 14 questions (Cronbach’s a = .76). Results indicated that foreign-born Latinos 36–75 years old, with minimal social support, U.S.-born Latinos with lower educational levels, minimal social support, and high-moderate stress levels reported statistically significant low SRMH. AS was significantly higher among foreign-born 36- to 75-year-olds, with lower educational levels, minimal social support, who preferred the Spanish language and lived ≤15 years in the United States. Linear regression analysis showed social support, educational levels, and life stressors to be significant predictors of SRMH among U.S.-born Latinos, whereas social support was a significant predictor in foreign-born Latinos.

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Testing the Strain Theory of Suicide – The Moderating Role of Social Support

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000604 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 82-88 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bob Lew ◽

Ksenia Chistopolskaya ◽

Yanzheng Liu ◽

Mansor Abu Talib ◽

Olga Mitina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Suicidal Behavior ◽

Online Survey ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Strain Theory ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Strains ◽

Moderating Role

Abstract. Background: According to the strain theory of suicide, strains, resulting from conﬂicting and competing pressures in an individual's life, are hypothesized to precede suicide. But social support is an important factor that can mitigate strains and lessen their input in suicidal behavior. Aims: This study was designed to assess the moderating role of social support in the relation between strain and suicidality. Methods: A sample of 1,051 employees were recruited in Beijing, the capital of China, through an online survey. Moderation analysis was performed using SPSS PROCESS Macro. Social support was measured with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and strains were assessed with the Psychological Strains Scale. Results: Psychological strains are a good predictor of suicidality, and social support, a basic need for each human being, moderates and decreases the effects of psychological strains on suicidality. Limitations: The cross-sectional survey limited the extent to which conclusions about causal relationships can be drawn. Furthermore, the results may not be generalized to the whole of China because of its diversity. Conclusion: Social support has a tendency to mitigate the effects of psychological strains on suicidality.

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Moderating Roles of Resilience and Social Support on Psychiatric and Practice Outcomes in Nurses Working During the COVID-19 Pandemic

SAGE Open Nursing ◽

10.1177/23779608211024213 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 237796082110242

Author(s):

Anna E. Schierberl Scherr ◽

Brian J. Ayotte ◽

Marni B. Kellogg

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Online Survey ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

The United States ◽

Direct Care ◽

Behavioral Measure ◽

Hierarchical Regression ◽

Research Reporting ◽

Symptoms Of Depression

Introduction Staff and equipment shortages and an easily transmissible virus make working in the COVID-19 pandemic demanding physically and psychologically. Nurses on the frontlines are particularly vulnerable to the adversity of working under these conditions, particularly with regard to mental health. Thus, understanding risk and protective factors for this vulnerable and essential group is critical for identifying potential targets of interventions. We had two aims for the current study: (a) to examine work functioning and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress (PTSD) among nurses who did and did not care for patients with COVID-19; and (b) to determine if resilience and social support moderate these relationships. Methods For three weeks in July 2020, nurses across the United States were invited to participate in an online survey collecting data on demographics, resilience, social support, and screening measures of depression, PTSD, anxiety, and distracted practice. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression for each outcome measure. Conclusions Our findings support a growing body of research reporting that nurses are experiencing mental health sequelae during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those providing direct care to patients with the virus. We found that compared to nurses who did not care for patients with COVID-19, those who did reported increased symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. A novel contribution is our finding that nurses providing direct COVID-19 care also experienced increased levels of distracted practice, a behavioral measure of distraction linking to a potential impact on patient care. We also found that resilience and social support acted as moderators of some of these relationships. Fostering resilience and social support may help buffer the effects of providing care to patients with COVID-19 and could potentially decrease nurse vulnerability to developing psychological symptoms and impairment on the job.

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Evaluation of the relationship between perceived social support, coping strategies, anxiety, and depression symptoms among hospitalized COVID-19 patients

The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine ◽

10.1177/0091217420982085 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 009121742098208

Author(s):

Ali Kandeğer ◽

Memduha Aydın ◽

Kürşat Altınbaş ◽

Alparslan Cansız ◽

Özge Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Negative Association ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Control Group ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Adaptive Coping ◽

The Relationship

Objective We aimed to evaluate the relationship between perceived social support, coping strategies, anxiety, and depression symptoms among hospitalized COVID-19 patients by comparing them with a matched control group in terms of age, gender, and education level. Method The patient group (n = 84) and the healthy controls (HCs, n = 92) filled in the questionnaire including the socio-demographic form, Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, and Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced through the online survey link. Results The COVID-19 patients had higher perceived social support and coping strategies scores than the HCs. However, anxiety and depression scores did not differ significantly between the two groups. In logistic regression analysis performed in COVID-19 patients, the presence of chest CT finding (OR = 4.31; 95% CI = 1.04–17.95) was a risk factor for anxiety and the use of adaptive coping strategies (OR = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.73–0.99) had a negative association with anxiety. In addition, the use of adaptive coping strategies (OR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.79–0.98) and high perceived social support (OR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.93– 0,99) had a negative association with depression symptoms. Conclusions Longitudinal studies involving the return to normality phase of the COVID-19 pandemic are needed to investigate the effects of factors such as coping strategies and perceived social support that could increase the psychological adjustment and resilience of individuals on anxiety and depression.

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The Comparability of Event-Related and General Social Support

Social Network Mining, Analysis, and Research Trends ◽

10.4018/978-1-61350-513-7.ch019 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 339-359 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Valentina Hlebec ◽

Maja Mrzel ◽

Tina Kogovšek

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Social Networks ◽

Life Events ◽

Support Network ◽

Response Format ◽

Major Life Events ◽

Major Life ◽

The Social ◽

Related Approach ◽

Relation Approach

Some studies (e.g., Kogovšek & Hlebec, 2008, 2009) have shown that the name generator and the role relation approaches to measuring social networks are to some extent comparable, but less so the name generator and the event-related approaches (Hlebec, Mrzel, & Kogovšek, 2009). In this chapter, the composition of the social support network assessed by both the general social support approach and the event-related approach (support during 15 major life events) is analyzed and compared. In both cases, the role relation approach is used. In addition, in both approaches a more elaborate (16 possible categories ranging from partner, mother, father, friend to no one) and a more simple (6 possible categories ranging from family member, friend, neighbor to no one) response format is applied and compared. The aim of the chapter is to establish, in a controlled quasi-experiment setting, whether the different approaches (i.e. the general social support and the event-related approach) produce similar social networks regardless of the response format (long vs. short).

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Perceived Social Support among International Students at a U.S. University

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/17.21.pr0.112.2.667-677 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 112 (2) ◽

pp. 667-677 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Pablo Chavajay

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Support ◽

International Students ◽

Cultural Context ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

The United States ◽

Instrumental Support ◽

Host Culture ◽

Social Support Scale

This study investigated the extent and sources of perceived social support among international students attending a northeastern university in the United States. Using the Index of Sojourner Social Support Scale, international students reported perceiving greater socioemotional and instrumental support from other international people than from Americans. Results also indicated that younger international students perceived more socioemotional and instrumental support from others than did older international students. The findings point to sources of social support available to international students in the host culture and the important role such types of social support may play in helping international students make adjustments to living and studying in a new cultural context.

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Depressive and anxiety symptoms and COVID-19-related factors among men and women in Nigeria

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0256690 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. e0256690

Author(s):

Olakunle Ayokunmi Oginni ◽

Ibidunni Olapeju Oloniniyi ◽

Olanrewaju Ibigbami ◽

Victor Ugo ◽

Ayomipo Amiola ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Online Survey ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Related Factors ◽

Middle Income

Despite the greater adverse economic impacts in low and middle-income (LAMI) compared to high-income countries, fewer studies have investigated the associations between COVID-19-related stressor and mental health in LAMI countries. The objectives of this study were to determine the associations between COVID-19-related stressors and anxiety and depressive symptoms while controlling for known risk and protective factors and to investigate any sex differences. An online survey was carried out to assess sociodemographic, psychosocial (previous mental health conditions, sexual orientation, intimate partner violence and perceived social support) and COVID-19-related variables. Hierarchical linear regression was carried out with anxiety and depressive symptoms as separate outcomes. Of the COVID-19-related factors, testing positive for COVID-19 infection, having COVID-19 symptoms, having other medical conditions, self-isolating due to COVID-19 symptoms, worry about infection, perception of the pandemic as a threat to income and isolation during the lockdown were significantly associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms. Of these, worry about infection, isolation during lockdown and disruption due to the pandemic retained independent associations with both outcomes. The variance in anxiety and depressive symptoms explained by COVID-19-related factors was larger in women (11.8%) compared to men (6.1% and 0.8% respectively). COVID-19-related stressors are associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms, with these effects being larger in men compared to women. Enhancing social support can be an affordable strategy to mitigate this risk but this needs to be investigated using appropriate designs.

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Mediating Effects of Risk Perception on Association Between Social Support and Coping with COVID-19: An Online Survey

10.21203/rs.3.rs-78065/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dian-Jeng Li ◽

Nai-Ying Ko ◽

Yu-Ping Chang ◽

Cheng-Fang Yen ◽

Yi-Lung Chen

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Risk Perception ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Online Survey ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Active Coping ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Mediation Model ◽

Mediating Effects ◽

And Coping

Abstract Backgrounds:This study aimed to develop a model for estimating the mediating effects of risk perception and confidence on the association between perceived social support and active coping with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic among people in Taiwan. Methods:The data of 1,970 participants recruited from a Facebook advertisement was analyzed. Perceived social support, active coping with COVID-19, risk perception and confidence were evaluated using self-administered questionnaires.Results:The structural equation modeling was applied to verify the direct and indirect effects between variables. The mediation model demonstrated that lower perceived social support was significantly associated with a higher level of active coping with COVID-19, and this was mediated by a higher level of risk perception. Conclusions:The present study identified the importance of risk perception on the public’s coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Wellbeing during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among adults in Nigeria: Associations with psychosocial and pandemic-related factors

10.21203/rs.3.rs-857475/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Olanrewaju Ibikunle Ibigbami ◽

Olakunle Ayokunmi Oginni ◽

Ibidunni Olapeju Oloniniyi ◽

Victor Ugo ◽

Matthew Ebuka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Tertiary Education ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Outcome Variable ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Explanatory Variables ◽

Perceived Impact ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Psychosocial factors including stress are determinants of wellbeing. However, there is a shortage of information about how these relationships were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic among adults in Nigeria.Objectives: To determine the associations between wellbeing, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, psychological distress (anxiety and depression), and perceived social support among adults in Nigeria during the first wave of the pandemic.Methods: Wellbeing (assessed using the WHO Wellbeing Index) was the outcome variable while the explanatory variables included anxiety and depressive symptoms (assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), perceived social support (assessed using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) and perceived impact of the pandemic (assessed using perceived disruptions of life-domains). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between the outcome and explanatory variables. The models were adjusted for sociodemographic profile (highest level of education, employment status and payment status).Results: Low self-perceived impact of the pandemic was significantly associated with higher odds of high wellbeing (AOR: 2.59; 95% CI: 1.69-3.95; p<0.001). Other factors associated with significantly higher odds of high wellbeing were high perceived social support (AOR: 2.40; 95% CI:1.78-3.22; p<0.001) and having tertiary education (AOR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.07-2.13; p=0.020). In contrast, experiencing anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with lower odds of high wellbeing (AOR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.14-0.41; p<0.001)).Conclusions: Measures for enhancing the wellbeing of adults resident in Nigeria may include strategies to ameliorate the impact of the pandemic, strengthening social support systems, and promoting optimal physical and mental health.

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