The Role of Animal Ownership for People with Severe Mental Illness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Study Investigating Links with Health and Loneliness

Research has reported the benefits of companion animals for people with severe mental illness (SMI). However, this evidence base is fragmented and unclear. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to explore the role of companion animals in the context of social distancing and isolation measures for people with SMI. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the links between mental and physical health and animal ownership in people with SMI and to explore animal owners’ perceptions related to human–animal interactions during the pandemic restrictions. A survey was conducted with a previously assembled cohort of individuals with SMI in the UK. The survey included previously validated and new bespoke items measuring demographics, and outcomes related to mental and physical health, and human–animal interactions. The survey also included a question inviting free-text responses, allowing participants to describe any experiences of their human–animal relationships during the pandemic. Of 315 participants who consented to participate, 249 (79%) completed the survey. Of these, 115 (46.2%) had at least one companion animal. Regression analyses indicated that animal ownership was not significantly associated with well-being and loneliness. However, animal ownership was associated with a self-reported decline in mental health (b = 0.640, 95% CI [0.102–1.231], p = 0.025), but no self-reported change in physical health. Thematic analysis identified two main themes relating to the positive and negative impact of animal ownership during pandemic restrictions. Animal ownership appeared to be linked to self-reported mental health decline in people with SMI during the second wave of the pandemic in the UK. However, the thematic analysis also highlighted the perceived benefit of animal ownership during this time. Further targeted investigation of the role of human–animal relationships and the perceived human–animal bond for human health is warranted.

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What does mental health nursing contribute to improving the physical health of service users with severe mental illness? A thematic analysis

International Journal of Mental Health Nursing ◽

10.1111/inm.12296 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 32-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Richard Gray ◽

Eleanor Brown

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Physical Health ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

Service Users ◽

Mental Health Nursing ◽

Health Nursing

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The health service contact patterns of people with psychotic and non-psychotic forms of severe mental illness in New South Wales, Australia: A record-linkage study

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/00048674211031483 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000486742110314

Author(s):

Rachael C Cvejic ◽

Preeyaporn Srasuebkul ◽

Adrian R Walker ◽

Simone Reppermund ◽

Julia M Lappin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Emergency Department ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Health Service ◽

Confidence Interval ◽

Physical Health ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

New South ◽

Service Utilisation ◽

South Wales

Objective: To describe and compare the health profiles and health service use of people hospitalised with severe mental illness, with and without psychotic symptoms. Methods: We conducted a historical cohort study using linked administrative datasets, including data on public hospital admissions, emergency department presentations and ambulatory mental health service contacts in New South Wales, Australia. The study cohort comprised 169,306 individuals aged 12 years and over who were hospitalised at least once with a mental health diagnosis between 1 July 2002 and 31 December 2014. Of these, 63,110 had a recorded psychotic illness and 106,196 did not. Outcome measures were rates of hospital, emergency department and mental health ambulatory service utilisation, analysed using Poisson regression. Results: People with psychotic illnesses had higher rates of hospital admission (adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.26; 95% confidence interval [1.23, 1.30]), emergency department presentation (adjusted IRR 1.17; 95% confidence interval [1.13, 1.20]) and ambulatory mental health treatment days (adjusted IRR 2.90; 95% confidence interval [2.82, 2.98]) than people without psychotic illnesses. The higher rate of hospitalisation among people with psychotic illnesses was driven by mental health admissions; while people with psychosis had over twice the rate of mental health admissions, people with other severe mental illnesses without psychosis (e.g. mood/affective, anxiety and personality disorders) had higher rates of physical health admissions, including for circulatory, musculoskeletal, genitourinary and respiratory disorders. Factors that predicted greater health service utilisation included psychosis, intellectual disability, greater medical comorbidity and previous hospitalisation. Conclusion: Findings from this study support the need for (a) the development of processes to support the physical health of people with severe mental illness, including those without psychosis; (b) a focus in mental health policy and service provision on people with complex support needs, and (c) improved implementation and testing of integrated models of care to improve health outcomes for all people experiencing severe mental illness.

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Holistic Health: Does It Really Include Mental Health?

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1100/tsw.2006.339 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 2092-2099 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kimberly K. McClanahan ◽

Marlene B. Huff ◽

Hatim A. Omar

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Physical Health ◽

The United States ◽

Holistic Health ◽

Public Perceptions ◽

The Past ◽

Mind And Body ◽

Mental And Physical Health ◽

The U.S

Holistic health, incorporating mind and body as equally important and unified components of health, is a concept utilized in some health care arenas in the United States (U.S.) over the past 30 years. However, in the U.S., mental health is not seen as conceptually integral to physical health and, thus, holistic health cannot be realized until the historical concept of mind-body dualism, continuing stigma regarding mental illness, lack of mental health parity in insurance, and inaccurate public perceptions regarding mental illness are adequately addressed and resolved. Until then, mental and physical health will continue to be viewed as disparate entities rather than parts of a unified whole. We conclude that the U.S. currently does not generally incorporate the tenets of holistic health in its view of the mental and physical health of its citizens, and provide some suggestions for changing that viewpoint.

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The cost of mental and physical health disability in childhood and adolescence to families in the UK: findings from a repeated cross-sectional survey using propensity score matching

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018729 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. e018729 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Francesca Solmi ◽

Mariya Melnychuk ◽

Stephen Morris

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Health ◽

Childhood And Adolescence ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Family ◽

Additional Costs ◽

The Uk ◽

The Cost ◽

Mental And Physical Health

ObjectiveIn the UK, families of disabled children are entitled to receive disability benefits to help meet costs associated with caring for their child. Evidence of actual costs incurred is scant, especially for mental health disability. In this study, we aimed to quantify the cost of mental and physical health disability in childhood and adolescence to families in the UK using the concept of compensating variation (CV).DesignRepeated cross-sectional survey.SettingThe UK general populationParticipants85 212 children drawn from 8 waves of the Family Resources Survey.OutcomesUsing propensity score matching we matched families with a disabled child to similar families without a disabled child and calculated the extra income the former require to achieve the same living standards as the latter, that is, their CV. We calculated the additional costs specifically associated with several definitions of mental health and physical health disability.ResultsFamilies of a child with any mental health disability, regardless of the presence of physical health comorbidity, needed an additional £49.31 (95% CI: 21.95 to 76.67) and, for more severe disabilities, an additional £57.56 (95% CI: 17.69 to 97.44) per week to achieve the same living standards of families without a disabled child. This difference was greater for more deprived families, who needed between £59.28 (95% CI: 41.38 to 77.18) and £81.26 (95% CI: 53.35 to 109.38) more per week depending on the extent of mental health disability. Families of children with physical health disabilities, with or without mental health disabilities, required an additional £35.86 (95% CI: 13.77 to 57.96) per week, with economically deprived families requiring an extra £42.18 (95% CI: 26.38 to 57.97) per week.ConclusionsMental and physical health disabilities among children and adolescents were associated with high additional costs for the family, especially for those from deprived economic backgrounds. Means testing could help achieve a more equitable redistribution of disability benefit.

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The chasm of care: Where does the mental health nursing responsibility lie for the physical health care of people with severe mental illness?

International Journal of Mental Health Nursing ◽

10.1111/inm.12242 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 25 (6) ◽

pp. 516-525 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Dianne Wynaden ◽

Brett Heslop ◽

Karen Heslop ◽

Lesley Barr ◽

Eric Lim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Physical Health ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

Mental Health Nursing ◽

Physical Health Care ◽

Health Nursing

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Metabolic Syndrome Screening in People With Severe Mental Illness: Results From Two Spanish Community Mental Health Centers

Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association ◽

10.1177/1078390319826686 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 162-171 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sara Fernández Guijarro ◽

Carolina Miguel García ◽

Edith Pomarol-Clotet ◽

Elena Nunilón Egea López ◽

Maria Dolors Burjales Martí ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Community Mental Health ◽

Physical Health ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

Health Centers ◽

Community Mental Health Centers ◽

Mental Health Centers

BACKGROUND: The excess of mortality in people with severe mental illness is due to unnatural causes such as accidents or suicides and natural causes such as metabolic syndrome. The presence of modifiable risk factors like tobacco consumption increases cardiovascular and metabolic risk. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and other cardiovascular risk factors in people with severe mental illness. This study also aimed to identify the prevalence of patients receiving treatment for any metabolic syndrome risk factor. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. A total of 125 participants from two community mental health centers in Spain were recruited. RESULTS: More than half of the participants (58.4%) were active smokers. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 60%. A total of 16.8% received previous treatment for hypertension, 17.6% for hypertriglyceridemia, and 11.2% for diabetes. No differences were found between centers (22.7% vs. 18.7%, p = .9). CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the importance of monitoring the physical health of patients on antipsychotic therapy. The identification and management of cardiovascular and metabolic risks factors is an essential part of nursing care for people with severe mental illness. Mental health nurses are ideally positioned to carry out this task by performing physical health screening, health education, and lifestyle interventions.

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Predictors in use of mental health resources: The role of behaviour problems in patients with severe mental illness

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0020764017716697 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 63 (6) ◽

pp. 532-538 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Gloria Bellido-Zanin ◽

Antonio J Vázquez-Morejón ◽

Agustín Martín-Rodríguez ◽

Maria Ángeles Pérez-San-Gregorio

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

Health Resources ◽

Behaviour Problems

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

10.31235/osf.io/6ju9m ◽

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.

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‘He’s my mate you see’: a critical discourse analysis of the therapeutic role of companion animals in the social networks of people with a diagnosis of severe mental illness

Medical Humanities ◽

10.1136/medhum-2018-011633 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 326-334

Author(s):

Helen Brooks ◽

Kelly Rushton ◽

Karina Lovell ◽

Rebecca McNaughton ◽

Anne Rogers

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Networks ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Discourse Analysis ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

Critical Discourse Analysis ◽

Companion Animals ◽

Therapeutic Agents ◽

Critical Discourse ◽

Personal Network

There is increasing recognition of the role pets play in the management of mental health conditions. Evidence suggests that pets promote social interaction and provide secure and intimate relationships which support the management of symptoms. This paper aimed to extend this evidence by exploring the phenomenological understanding of relationships and relationality with companion animals as therapeutic agents in the context of people’s wider social networks.A qualitative study was undertaken incorporating 35 interviews with 12 participants with a diagnosis of severe mental illness who identified a pet as being important in the management of mental health. Participants took part in three in-depth interviews centred on ego network mapping over a 12-month period (baseline, 6 and 12 months). A critical discourse analysis examined therapeutic relationships with pets in relation to mental health and compared these to other types of support over time. Summative discourse analyses were combined with a cross-case thematic analysis to look for commonalities and differences across individuals.Compared with interactions with other therapeutic agents, relationships with pets were free from the obligations and complexities associated with other types of network members and provided an extension and reinforcement to an individual’s sense of self which militated against the negative experiences associated with mental illness. Relationships with human network members were more variable in terms of consistency and capacity to manage demands (eg, network members requiring support themselves) and the emotions of others associated with fluctuations in mental health.This study adds weight to research supporting the inclusion of companion animals in the lexicon of mental health self-management through the therapeutic value attributed to them by participants within a wide personal network of support. The findings point to how consideration might usefully be given to how relationships with companion animals can be incorporated into healthcare planning and delivery.

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