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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Behav / Pet ownership, feelings of loneliness, and mood in people af...
Journal of veterinary behavior : clinical applications and research : official journal of : Australian Veterinary Behaviour Interest Group, International Working Dog Breeding Association2022; 57; 52-63; doi: 10.1016/j.jveb.2022.09.008

Pet ownership, feelings of loneliness, and mood in people affected by the first COVID-19 lockdown.

Abstract: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused dramatic changes to our lifestyle, particularly affecting our ability to interact "in person" with our social network. These changes have had a detrimental effect on the mental welfare of the global population. The international questionnaire "Pets in Lockdown" was designed to investigate whether feelings of loneliness were affecting the mood of people during the COVID-19 lockdown and whether pet ownership may have had a positive influence on both loneliness and general mood. As expected, higher loneliness scores were associated with higher negative and lower positive affective states. In addition, lower loneliness scores were associated with pet ownership and living with other people, but not with more frequent interactions with people from outside the household, suggesting that physical and close contact has an important role in decreasing feelings of loneliness. Besides the effects on the loneliness score, pet ownership was not associated with positive or negative affective states. The strength of the attachment to animals, measured as the amount of comfort that people obtain from their pets, was stronger in people with potentially limited access to affiliative physical human contact and was associated with both higher positive and negative affective states. Additionally, people obtained significantly more comfort from dogs and horses compared with other pet species. The results suggest that during the confinement period, pets may have benefited people with smaller social networks by alleviating loneliness and offering comfort and embodied close contact.
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Publication Date: 2022-09-23 PubMed ID: 36212778PubMed Central: PMC9527397DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2022.09.008Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research investigates the influence of pet ownership on feelings of loneliness and mood during the COVID-19 lockdown. It suggests that pet ownership and close physical contact could alleviate loneliness, particularly for individuals with limited access to social networks. Pets, especially dogs and horses, provide comfort which contributes to improved mood and emotional state.

Research Methodology and Design

  • For this study, an international questionnaire titled “Pets in Lockdown” was developed to gather data about people’s feelings of loneliness and their mood during the COVID-19 lockdown.
  • The questionnaire aimed to determine whether pet ownership could influence feelings of loneliness and general mood.
  • The strength of people’s attachment to their pets, notably the comfort derived from them, was also examined.

Key Findings

  • The results demonstrated that high loneliness scores were synchronized with elevated negative moods and decreased positive emotions.
  • Lower levels of loneliness were associated with pet ownership and living with other people, but not necessarily with increased interactions with individuals outside of the household.
  • This suggests that physical proximity and intimate contact are significant factors in mitigating feelings of loneliness rather than frequent or casual social interactions.
  • Although pet ownership was linked to decreased feelings of loneliness, it was not directly associated with either positive or negative affective states.
  • The data showed that the comfort derived from pets was higher among individuals with potentially limited access to affectionate human contact.
  • This comfort from pets was moreover associated with both positive and negative emotional states, hinting that pets provide emotional management for their owners.
  • Dogs and horses were specifically found to offer more comfort than other pet species.

Conclusion and Recommendations

  • The research concludes that during the lockdown period, pet ownership, represented by close physical contact, potentially benefited people with smaller social networks by diminishing feelings of loneliness and providing comfort.
  • This might imply that pets can serve as a resource for emotional support during isolating circumstances.
  • Further research is suggested to explore how different types of pets may influence various aspects of human mood and wellbeing.

Cite This Article

APA
Martos Martinez-Caja A, De Herdt V, Enders-Slegers MJ, Moons CPH. (2022). Pet ownership, feelings of loneliness, and mood in people affected by the first COVID-19 lockdown. J Vet Behav, 57, 52-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2022.09.008

Publication

Journal of veterinary behavior : clinical applications and research : official journal of : Australian Veterinary Behaviour Interest Group, International Working Dog Breeding Association
ISSN: 1558-7878
NlmUniqueID: 101261851
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 57
Pages: 52-63

Researcher Affiliations

Martos Martinez-Caja, Ana
  • Ethology and Animal Welfare Research Group, Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
De Herdt, Veerle
  • Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.
Enders-Slegers, Marie-Jose
  • Faculty of Psychology, Open University; Heerlen, Netherlands.
Moons, Christel Palmyre Henri
  • Ethology and Animal Welfare Research Group, Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Martos Martinez-Caja A, De Herdt V, Enders Slegers MJ, Moons CPH. Pets and their owners during the first COVID-19 lockdown period: Perceived changes in routines and emotions - An exploratory study.. J Vet Behav 2022 Feb;48:86-91.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jveb.2021.09.009pubmed: 36569455google scholar: lookup
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