(© Luciano - stock.adobe.com)
LONDON — When COVID-19 lockdowns turned our world upside down, many people thought they had found the perfect antidote to isolation: a furry, four-legged friend. News outlets buzzed with heartwarming stories of “pandemic puppies” and skyrocketing pet adoptions. It seemed like the perfect solution to combat loneliness and anxiety. But a new study suggests that our animal companions might not have been the emotional life rafts we thought they were.
Researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark and King’s College London conducted a large-scale study of over 6,000 UK residents to examine the relationship between pet ownership and mental health outcomes during the first year of the pandemic. Their findings, published in the journal Mental Health & Prevention, challenge the popular notion that pets are a cure-all for pandemic blues.
The study followed participants from April 2020 through April 2021, tracking their mental health symptoms and pet ownership status. Contrary to expectations, pet owners did not show better mental health outcomes compared to those without pets. In fact, pet owners reported slightly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure) than non-pet owners.
Lead author Christine Parsons, a professor with the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University, admits she was “genuinely surprised” upon seeing the study’s results. “This runs counter to a prevailing public belief that pets are beneficial for mental health,” Parsons notes in a statement.
This doesn’t mean your beloved Fido or Fluffy is bad for your mental health. The differences were small, and the researchers emphasize that many other factors influence mental well-being. However, the findings do suggest that getting a pet isn’t a sure-fire quick fix for mental health struggles.
The study did uncover some bright spots for pet owners. Dog owners were more likely to exercise regularly, with 40% reporting daily or near-daily exercise compared to 35% of non-dog owners. This “Lassie effect,” as researchers dubbed it, aligns with previous studies showing that dog ownership can boost physical activity levels.
For those living alone, both cat and dog ownership were associated with slightly lower levels of loneliness. While the effect was small, it suggests that pets may provide some comfort for individuals who might otherwise have little daily social interaction.
The researchers also investigated the popular stereotype of the “crazy cat lady” – the notion that women who own cats are more prone to loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Interestingly, they found no evidence to support this stereotype. While women were more likely to own cats than men, there was no interaction between cat ownership, gender, and mental health outcomes.
One surprising finding was that people who adopted pets during the pandemic didn’t show any significant improvements in mental health compared to those who didn’t. This challenges the idea that getting a “pandemic puppy” or “quarantine kitty” would automatically boost mood and well-being.
“This study adds to the mixed body of research on pet ownership and mental health,” says senior author Dr. Katherine Young. “While some previous studies have suggested benefits, the large, longitudinal nature of this research provides robust evidence to the contrary.”
So why didn’t pets provide the mental health boost many expected? The researchers suggest that while pets can offer companionship and purpose, they also come with added responsibilities and potential stressors. During a pandemic, concerns about pet care, veterinary access, and financial strain may have offset some of the positive aspects of pet ownership.
It’s important to note that this study doesn’t mean pets are bad for mental health or that they don’t provide joy and companionship. Rather, it suggests that the relationship between pet ownership and mental well-being is complex and influenced by many factors beyond simply having a furry friend at home.
The researchers hope their work will lead to a more nuanced public conversation about the role of pets in our lives, especially during times of crisis. “Our findings suggest that while pets can provide companionship, they are by no means a cure-all for mental health issues, especially during stressful times like a pandemic,” concludes Professor Parsons.
Paper Summary
Methodology
The study used data from the Repeated Assessment of Mental Health in Pandemics (RAMP) project, which followed UK residents aged 16 and older throughout the pandemic. Participants completed online questionnaires at the start of the study and at 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups. These surveys included standardized measures of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), anhedonia (MASQ-AD), and loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale). Participants also provided information about pet ownership, demographics, and lifestyle factors like exercise habits.
Results
The study found that pet ownership was associated with slightly higher scores on measures of depression, anxiety, and anhedonia, but had no significant effect on loneliness in the overall sample. Dog owners reported more frequent exercise than non-dog owners. Among those living alone, both cat and dog owners reported lower loneliness scores than non-pet owners, but the effect was small. Pet adoption during the pandemic was not associated with improvements in mental health outcomes.
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported data, which can be subject to bias. While the sample size was large, it may not be fully representative of the UK population. The researchers didn’t have detailed information about the nature of people’s relationships with their pets or the reasons for pet adoption, which could provide important context for the findings.
Discussion and Takeaways
The researchers suggest that while pets can provide companionship, they may also introduce new stressors, especially during a pandemic. The study challenges the notion that pet ownership is a universal solution for mental health issues. Instead, it highlights the complex nature of human-animal relationships and their impact on well-being. The findings underscore the need for a nuanced understanding of how pets affect our lives, rather than assuming all pet ownership is universally beneficial.
Funding and Disclosures
The RAMP study was supported by funding from the King’s Together Multi and Interdisciplinary Research Scheme. One of the researchers, Katherine S. Young, was supported by MQ: Transforming Mental Health. The lead author, Christine E. Parsons, is funded by a Carlsberg Young Investigator Fellowship. The researchers reported no conflicts of interest related to the study.
