Attachment to Pets Moderates Transitions in Latent Patterns of Mental Health Following the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of a Survey of U.S. Adults

Abstract

This cross-sectional study examined whether, and to what extent, attachment to pets was associated with changes in latent patterns of adults’ perceived mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 1942). We used latent transition analysis to determine the stability of subgroup membership pre- and post-COVID and the effect of attachment to pets on transition probabilities. Mental health before COVID-19 was measured retrospectively. Five subgroups were identified: low symptoms, mild symptoms, moderate symptoms, high symptoms, and severe symptoms. Among individuals in the moderate and high symptoms subgroups, those who reported high attachment to pets generally had greater odds of transitioning to a less severe symptom profile (OR = 2.12) over time than those with low attachment to pets (OR = 1.39). However, those who had a severe symptom profile and high attachment to pets had lower odds of transitioning to a less severe symptom profile (OR = 0.30) and higher odds of maintaining a severe symptom profile (OR = 3.33) than those with low attachment to pets. These findings suggest that the protective and risk effects of attachment to pets differ based on individuals’ psychological symptom patterns across multiple indicators. We discuss the implications of these findings for research, policy, and practice.

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

“…In a study conducted in the first half of 2020 with cat and dog owners, above average pet attachment was found to be a protective mental health factor for people with moderate to high levels of mental health symptoms. However, high pet attachment in people with severe levels of mental health symptoms was associated with decreased chances of improved mental health [ 122 ]. The pet relationship scales used in the current study may not have facilitated insight into the nature of the human-pet relationship that most affects depression, anxiety, and happiness during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Disenfranchised Guilt—Pet Owners’ Burden

“…Research pertaining to WFC and parental guilt has centered around human family members, yet 70% of US homes have a pet [42], and the majority of pet owners (85% of dog owners and 76% of cat owners) consider their pets to be family members [43]. Pets have been shown to provide a plethora of benefits, including increased wellbeing [44][45][46][47][48][49][50], stress reduction [51][52][53], a buffer against depression [54][55][56][57][58] and anxiety [59][60][61], motivation to exercise [62][63][64], increased longevity [65,66], higher social functioning [67], enhanced social support [53,54], and a buffer against adverse family circumstances [68] and stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic [69][70][71][72][73][74]. It should be noted, however, that many studies have failed to find positive physical or psychological effects of animals [75][76][77].…”

Companion Animals’ Roles for AIDS Survivors, Mostly Aging Males, during HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 Pandemics

“…How do companion animals relate to a person’s mental health, especially during a challenging pandemic? A survey of US pet owners analyzed their reported mental health symptoms prior to and after the COVID pandemic onset, finding that their attachment to pets was a protective factor for those with moderate or high, but not severe, mental health symptoms [ 39 ]. Among pet owners in the UK during COVID, animal ownership compared with non-ownership was associated with smaller decreases in mental health for the animal owners and smaller increases in loneliness [ 40 ].…”