Parent and child mental health during COVID-19 in Australia: The role of pet attachment

Restrictions, social isolation, and uncertainty related to the global COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted the ways that parents and children maintain family routines, health, and wellbeing. Companion animals (pets) can be a critical source of comfort during traumatic experiences, although changes to family routines, such as those caused by COVID-19, can also bring about challenges like managing undesirable pet behaviours or pet-human interactions. We aimed to examine the relationship between pet attachment and mental health for both parents and their children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. A total of 1,034 parents living with a child under 18 years and a cat or dog completed an online cross-sectional survey. Path analysis using multivariate linear regression was conducted to examine associations between objective COVID-19 impacts, subjective worry about COVID-19, human-pet attachment, and mental health. After adjusting for core demographic factors, stronger pet-child attachment was associated with greater child anxiety (parent-reported, p<.001). Parent-pet attachment was not associated with self-reported psychological distress (p=.42), however, parents who reported a strong emotional closeness with their pet reported greater psychological distress (p=.002). Findings highlight the role of pets during times of change and uncertainty. It is possible that families are turning to animals as a source of comfort, during a time when traditional social supports are less accessible. Alternatively, strong pet attachment is likely to reflect high levels of empathy, which might increase vulnerability to psychological distress. Longitudinal evidence is required to delineate the mechanisms underpinning pet attachment and mental health.

Hubungan Antara Pet Attachment dengan Psychological Well-Being Pada Pencinta Hewan Peliharaan Di Bogor

Individu yang memelihara hewan peliharaan cenderung memiliki pet attachment yang tinggi. Hal ini di karenakan ikatan emosi antara pemilik hewan dengan hewan peliharaannya. Semakin lama ikatan tersebut maka kecenderungan mendapatkan rasa nyaman semakin kuat. Individu yang memelihara hewan dapat membentuk hubungan yang khas yang melibatkan kedekatan, komitmen, keterlibatan emosional dan konflik sehingga membuat individu merasa senang, bahagia dan bermakna. Kondisi itu disebut dengan psychological well-being (PWB). PWB adalah kebahagiaan hidup manusia yang sesungguhnya merupakan hasil dari penilaian dan perasaan baik diri dan hidup. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara pet attachment dengan PWB pada pencinta hewan peliharaan di Kota Bogor. Penentuan subyek menggunakan teknik incidental sampling dengan jumlah 100 orang yang pernah atau sedang memiliki hewan peliharaan. Instrumen pada penelitian ini adalah LAPS (Lexington to pets scale) untuk mengukur pet attachment dan the perma profiler untuk mengukur PWB sebagai teknik pengumpulan data. Teknik korelasi yang digunakan adalah korelasi pearson Product Moment. Hasil yang diperoleh adalah terdapat hubungan positif antara pet attachment dengan PWB dengan nilai kolerasi pearson sebesar. 0,489. Artinya, apabila individu yang memiliki tingkat pet attachment yang tinggi maka tingkat PWB nya juga tinggi.

Pet Attachment and the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

Background: Pet ownership is often assumed to have mental health benefits, but the effect of pets on suicide risk has a scant literature. Aims: Using the interpersonal theory of suicide, we examined the relationships between perceived burdensomeness (PB), thwarted belongingness (TB), overall attachment to one's pet, pet attachment avoidance or anxiety, and suicide risk. The following three hypotheses were investigated: (1) Higher attachment would be indirectly associated with lower suicide risk via lower TB and lower PB; (2) attachment would be associated with higher suicide risk, as conditioned on attachment avoidance/anxiety; and (3) attachment avoidance/anxiety would be associated with higher suicide risk via higher TB/PB. Method: Undergraduates ( N = 187) completed surveys, and indirect effect and conditional effect analyses were utilized. Results: Overall attachment was associated with lower PB, which was associated with lower suicide risk. The relationship between overall attachment and suicide risk was not conditional upon attachment anxiety/avoidance. Attachment avoidance was associated with increased levels of TB, which was associated with increased suicide risk. Attachment anxiety was associated with increased suicide risk via TB and PB. Limitations: We used a university sample that had limited access to pets. Conclusions: Findings suggest that pet ownership may provide mixed associations with suicide risk.

Can Pets Replace Children? The Interaction Effect of Pet Attachment and Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Fertility Intention

A growing number of young people tend to regard their pets as their surrogate children, yet research examining the relationship between pet attachment and fertility intention remains scarce. Moreover, individuals’ fertility intention is affected by economic resources. Therefore, we conducted two studies to examine the interaction effect of pet attachment and subjective socioeconomic status (SES) on childbearing-aged individuals’ fertility intention. In Study 1, we utilized questionnaires to measure Chinese pet owners’ pet attachment, subjective SES, and fertility intention. In Study 2, participants’ pet attachment was experimentally manipulated by reading articles about the benefits of petkeeping. The results of the two studies consistently demonstrated that the effect of pet attachment on fertility intention was moderated by subjective SES. Specifically, pet attachment was negatively associated with fertility intention when individuals had a high level of subjective SES, whereas this effect disappeared when individuals had low subjective SES. These findings suggest an explanation for why individuals with high subjective SES delay or even opt out of childbearing. The limitations and implications of the current study are discussed.

Pet Attachment and Its Relevant Factors among Undergraduates

Objective To explore the characteristics of pet attachment and its relevant factors among undergraduates. Methods 547 undergraduate pet owners were selected by stratified random sampling from 7 universities in Guangzhou City. They were investigated with Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS), College Students Interpersonal Comprehensive Diagnostic Scale (ICDSCS), Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale-Version 3 (UCLALS), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ) and a self-edited questionnaire on the general personal information. Results ⑴ The total score of LAPS, ICDSCS and UCLALS, as well as score of coping style disposition were (41.71±10.05), (9.12±5.62), (44.51±7.87) and (-.22±1.50), respectively. ⑵ 20.9% of undergraduates were moderate to severe pet attachment. ⑶ Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis showed that the total score of LAPS was positively correlated with 7 factors such as total score of UCLALS and ICDSCS, school category, how many pets have you kept, origin, gender and monthly family income (β=.119 to .668, all P < 0.05), while the reasons for keeping pets and coping style disposition were negatively correlated with the total score of LAPS (β=-.537 and -.621, P < 0.05). Conclusion College students' pet attachment is a common behavioral problem, which is closely related to such factors as family rearing, community cultural atmosphere, school education and the personality of the undergraduates.

The Impact of Pets on Everyday Life for Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose: The social and behavioral health of older adults is of particular concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is estimated that at least 50% of older adults in the U.S. have pets; while pets may be a source of support, they could also pose unique challenges during an already trying time. We aimed to investigate how pets impacted the everyday lives of older adults in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A large survey of U.S. pet owners (n = 2,068) was administered to assess the impact of relationships with pets during COVID-19 on human health and well-being. We conducted bivariate analyses to compare levels of social support, loneliness, pet attachment, and family income for a subset of older adults (ages 65 and older) with a younger comparison group (ages 18–64). Using thematic and content analysis, we analyzed two open-ended prompts from age 65+ respondents (n = 122): (1) the pros and cons of living with pets during the pandemic, and (2) advice for those living with pets in future pandemics.Results: Older adults, on average, reported lower levels of social support and less loneliness than respondents below age 65. There were no significant differences in strength of attachment to pets nor income between the younger and older respondents. For the open-ended prompt regarding pros and cons, we coded three emerging themes and related sub-themes: (1) pros (company; more time together; life purpose or meaning; love; support; stress relief; routine; distraction; exercise), (2) cons (general worry; potential for illness; limited participation; veterinary care access; obtaining supplies; difficulty meeting pet needs; financial concerns), and (3) no difference. Advice shared was coded into 13 themes/sub-themes: pets' health and welfare; make plans; veterinary information; treat pets like family; don't abandon pets; human health and well-being; stay calm; enjoy pets; keep routine; be careful of transmission; seek community resources; keep supplies stocked; and finances.Conclusions: Pets may fulfill some social and emotional needs for older adults during this particularly isolating event; equally important to consider are the challenges that may be precipitated by and/or exacerbated by this public health emergency.

Peran Pet Attachment Terhadap Kebahagiaan Pemilik Hewan Peliharaan Di Kota Banjarmasin

Keeping animals, especially cats, has been demonstrated by the Prophet. This certainly saves goodness in it. If you see the relationship between humans and animals that are intertwined in a longer period of time will cause attachment in it or we call it a pet attachment. So the purpose of this study will look at how the role of pet attachments on the happiness of pet owners. This research is a field research, with a qualitative descriptive approach. The technique of selecting research subjects using purposive sampling technique, the number of samples as many as 22 people and after screening tests using a stickiness scale that has been validated and reliable (0.807), obtained 5 people included in the category. Furthermore, 2 subjects who were willing to take part in the research. Data collection used was semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, and documentation. The results showed a description of pet attachments in pet owners including physical contact, selection criteria, reactions to separation and loss, effects on physical and psychological health. The description of the happiness of pet owners can be seen in the aspects of happiness, which consists of aspects of positive emotion, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishment. All aspects are fulfilled from the attachment to the pet (pet attachment), causing happiness to the pet owner.

Owners’ Perceptions of Pet influence: Relation to Health Outcomes & Pet Attachment in Community-Living Older Adults

Pet ownership (PO) has been linked to better health outcomes in older adults, particularly those with chronic health conditions. It is suggested that pets influence their owners lives both by encouraging social interaction and by interfering with owners’ willingness or ability to seek care for themselves. We use data from 6 questions about the positive and negative influence of pets on community dwelling older adults’ administered to pet owners (N=223, age &gt;=50 years) in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. We use principal components analysis (oblique rotation) to extract dimensions of owner’s perceptions of pet influences (PPI) and examine the relationship of these dimensions to owners’ cognitive, physical functional, and psychological status. Three dimensions of PPI include: fiscal/health challenges (F1: 3 items, alpha=0.70), wellness promotion (F2: 2 items, alpha=0.80); and reason for social/travel constraints (F3: 1 item). In regression analysis with all factors entered simultaneously, after controlling for age, higher magnitude of F1 significantly independently predicted poor physical quality of life (p=.0007), greater perceived stress (p=0.041), and lower happiness (p=0.014); F2 did not independently predict any health outcome; higher F3 significantly independently predicted lower emotional vitality (p=0.048). Controlling for age, all three factors were independent predictors of pet attachment (p’s=0.001, 0.010, 0.047, respectively). F1 and F3 were positively and F2 was negatively correlated with attachment. PPI was associated with owners’ physical and mental health. Perhaps older adults with higher attachment to pets are more likely to keep them despite higher challenges.