The Human-Animal Bond and Loss: Providing Support for Grieving Clients

2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamina Toray
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Mental Health Counselors ◽  
Pet Loss ◽  
Grief Process ◽  
Human Animal Bond ◽  
Broad Framework ◽  
Human Animal

The purpose of this article is to increase mental health counselors' awareness of the importance of pets in the lives of their clients and to provide a greater understanding of the grief process accompanying the death of a companion animal. A broad framework for assessing clients' attachments to their pets and conceptualizing grief as it relates to pet loss will be presented.

scholarly journals Human-animal relationships and interactions during the Covid-19 lockdown phase in the UK: investigating links with mental health and loneliness

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Ratschen ◽  
Emily Shoesmith ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Karine Silva ◽  
Dimitra Kale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Clinical Importance ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Human Animal Bond ◽  
Buffering Hypothesis ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
The Uk

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic raises questions about the role that relationships and interactions between humans and animals play in the context of widespread social distancing and isolation measures. We aimed to investigate links between mental health and loneliness, companion animal ownership, the human-animal bond, and human-animal interactions; and to explore animal owners’ perceptions related to the role of their animals during lockdown. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of UK residents over 18 years of age was conducted between April and June 2020. The questionnaire included validated and bespoke items measuring demographics; exposures and outcomes related to mental health, wellbeing and loneliness; the human-animal bond and human-animal interactions. Results: Of 5,926 participants, 5,323 (89.8%) had at least one companion animal. Most perceived their animals to be a source of considerable support, but concerns were reported related to various practical aspects of providing care during lockdown. Strength of the human-animal bond did not differ significantly between species. Poorer mental health pre-lockdown was associated with a stronger reported human-animal bond (b = -.014, 95% CI [-.023 - -.005], p = .002). Animal ownership compared with non-ownership was associated with smaller decreases in mental health (b = .267, 95% CI [.079 - .455], p = .005) and smaller increases in loneliness (b = -.302, 95% CI [-.461 - -.144], p = .001) since lockdown. Conclusion: The human-animal bond is a construct of potential clinical importance to identify mental health vulnerability in animal owners. Animal ownership appeared to mitigate some of the detrimental psychological effects of lockdown. Further targeted investigation of the role of human-animal relationships and interactions for human health, including testing of the social buffering hypothesis and the development of instruments suited for use across animal species, is required.

scholarly journals The Perceived Impact of The First UK Covid-19 Lockdown on Companion Animal Welfare and Behaviour: A Mixed-Method Study of Associations with Owner Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6171
Author(s):  
Emily Shoesmith ◽  
Luciana Santos de Assis ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Elena Ratschen ◽  
Paul Toner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Human Animal

Background: Companion animals may be a positive presence for their owners during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the welfare of a companion animal is strongly influenced by the behaviour of their owners, as well as their physical and social environment. We aimed to investigate the reported changes in companion animal welfare and behaviour and to examine the association between these changes and companion animal owners’ mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of UK residents over 18 years of age was conducted between April and June 2020 (n = 5926). The questionnaire included validated, bespoke items measuring outcomes related to mental health, human-animal bonds and reported changes in animal welfare and behaviour. The final item of the survey invited open-ended free-text responses, allowing participants to describe experiences associated with human-animal relationships during the first UK lockdown phase. Results: Animal owners made up 89.8% of the sample (n = 5323), of whom 67.3% reported changes in their animal’s welfare and behaviour during the first lockdown phase (n = 3583). These reported changes were reduced to a positive (0–7) and negative (0–5) welfare scale, following principal component analysis (PCA) of 17 items. Participants reported more positive changes for cats, whereas more negative changes were reported for dogs. Thematic analysis identified three main themes relating to the positive and negative impact on companion animals of the Covid-19 pandemic. Generalised linear models indicated that companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores pre-lockdown reported fewer negative changes in animal welfare and behaviour. However, companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores since lockdown reported more changes, both positive and negative, in animal welfare and behaviour. Conclusion: Our findings extend previous insights into perceived welfare and behaviour changes on a very limited range of species to a wider a range of companion animals. Owner mental health status has a clear, albeit small, effect on companion animal welfare and behaviour.

Human Health Concerns from Pet Ownership After a Tornado

1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian E. Heath ◽  
Max Champion
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Separation Anxiety ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Preparedness Planning ◽  
Human Animal Bond ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Mental Health Concerns ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIntroduction:Although 50% to 60% of North American households own pets and many of these pets are considered family members, there is little information on the impact pet ownership on pet-owning families affected by disasters.Methods:This case report describes some of the effects of a tornado on 17 families whose dwellings were destroyed. The setting was a typical urban trailer park.Results:After a tornado at the Sagamore Village Trailer Park in north central Indiana, 104 families were evacuated. Seventeen (16.3%) of these families owned pets. For 14 families (13.5%), pet ownership had an important impact on the families' recovery from the tornado. Public- and mental-health concerns that arose from pet ownership included failure to evacuate a dangerous site, attempts to re-enter a dangerous site, separation anxiety leading to psychosomatic disturbances, and the need for additional animal care.Conclusions:In urban disasters, the behaviors of families with a human-animal bond are likely to pose a significant risk to their own and others' health and safety in urban disasters. In this small study of families affected by a tornado, the most prominent public-health concerns were failure to evacuate because of a pet and attempts of re-entry to save a pet; the most common mental-health concerns resulted from separation anxiety from a pet and refusal to accept medical treatment until a pet's well-being can be assured. These are thought to be typical issues that will arise out of the human-animal bond in urban disaster situations and differ considerably from traditional public-health concerns over dog bites, spread of zoonotic diseases, and human food contamination. Medical disaster preparedness planning should consider the substantial effects that the human-animal bond is likely to have on human recovery from large-scale urban disasters.

Counseling With Children in Contemporary Society

2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Goldman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Mental Health Counselors ◽  
Contemporary Society ◽  
Professional Literature ◽  
Grief Process ◽  
The Common ◽  
Children's Grief ◽  
Broad Understanding

This article examines elements related to children's developmental understandings of death, ways to talk to children about death, a broad understanding of the nature of children's grief and bereavement, recognition of the common characteristics of grieving children, and useful interventions.The research related to the child grief process and the intrinsic value of therapeutic and educational supports in working with grieving children are discussed through case studies, the professional literature, and practical interventions that support the process of grief therapy for mental health counselors and the bereaved child.

Beyond Recovery

2015 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. C. Wong ◽  
Kenny C. T. Lau ◽  
Lucia L. Liu ◽  
Gloria S. N. Yuen ◽  
Poon Wing-Lok
Keyword(s):  
Personal Growth ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Coping Behaviors ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Pet Loss ◽  
Human Animal Bond ◽  
Loss Experience ◽  
Depth Interviews

It is a worldwide trend that more households are having pets or companion animals. Hence, there has been an increasing number of animal lovers experience companion animal loss bereavement. This form of bereavement has not been explored in Chinese societies. We conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews with 31 animal lovers and recruited through convenience and snowball sampling in Hong Kong. Companion animal loss bereavement appears to share similar features to other forms of bereavement but also has its unique features. The intensity of grief seemed to be affected by factors like the strength of the human–animal bond, lack of empathy from closed ones, being married without children, and euthanasia decision. Although the bereavement was distressful for many of our participants, many of them gradually achieved personal growth from their loss experience. We have identified seven common themes from the interview data and through self-reliance, social-supported, or professional-supported coping behaviors, people bereaved by animal loss can achieve growth from their experience. This study shows that postbereavement growth is possible from pet loss bereavement when appropriate coping strategies are adopted by the bereaved but some professional help may be needed.

A Comparison of the Grief Reaction of Children and Adults: Focusing on Pet Loss and Bereavement

1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joann Jarolmen
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Pet Attachment ◽  
Grief Reaction ◽  
Pet Loss ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Human Animal Bond ◽  
Human Animal

Based on the fact that the human-animal bond has existed through recorded history and researchers are now beginning to explore humans' reactions to its loss, this study attempts to answer the following questions: Does human attachment to a pet vary with age/stage of development? Does grief vary by age/stage of development? Does the length and intensity of grief change if the loss was anticipated or sudden? The purpose of this study is to understand attachment and bereavement/loss in children and adolescents as compared to adults. The “Pet Attachment Survey,” the “Grief Experience Inventory,” and “Questions for Each Person in the Study” were the instruments used in this study. The participants included 106 children, 57 adolescents, and 270 adults who had lost their pets within a twelve-month interval. The findings suggest that children and adolescents have similar attachments to their pets. Children grieved more than adults in this study. Anticipated grief partially helped participants to allay the grief response.

scholarly journals 10 The Impact of Global Disasters on Our Pets: Lessons from COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 5-6
Author(s):  
Alexandra Protopopova
Keyword(s):  
Support Services ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Human Animal Bond ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
New Research ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Abstract The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic provided a unique insight into the impacts of global disasters on pet ownership and companion animal services. This talk will review research on the impacts of various stages of the pandemic on the human-animal relationship, surprising increases in the adoption of pets from animal shelters around the world, and the potential reasons for those increases. I will also present new research on the impact of the pandemic on pet support services within the city of Vancouver, Canada, that will highlight the complex relationships between vulnerable human populations, the city’s response to the pandemic, and pet care. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic, and its associated economic impact, have completely re-shaped the field of animal sheltering and companion animal support services. In addition to being recognized as an essential service, animal shelter and veterinary staff were confronted with the need to identify only necessary operations to ensure care of animals and their communities without the risk of contracting and transmitting the virus. As a result, emergent animal sheltering trends now emphasize community-based approaches, abolishing harmful discriminative practices, and aiming to keep pets and their original owners together – all from the framework of One Health/ One Welfare. As global disasters are projected to increase in frequency due to climate change, a better understanding of impacts on the human-animal bond and support services will ensure that we can be better prepared for the future.

Opportunities for incorporating the human-animal bond in companion animal practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 249 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Knesl ◽  
Benjamin L. Hart ◽  
Aubrey H. Fine ◽  
Leslie Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Companion Animal ◽  
Human Animal Bond ◽  
Human Animal
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