Having a pet appears to act as a stress-buster during the lockdown, according to new research.
The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that most participants perceived their “pets to be a source of considerable support during the lockdown period,” from March 23 to June 1.
Researchers at the University of York and the University of Lincoln found that having a pet was associated with better mental health and reduced loneliness.
More than 90 percent of the participants said their pet helped them cope mentally with the lockdown, while 96 percent said their pet helped them to stay fit and active.
However, 68 percent of the respondents reported having been worried about their pets’ health during the lockdown.
Lead author of the study Dr. Elena Ratschen said, “Findings from this study also demonstrated potential links between people’s mental health and the emotional bonds they form with their pets; measures of the strength of the human-animal bond were higher among people who reported lower scores for mental health-related outcomes at baseline.”
“We also discovered that in this study, the strength of the emotional bond with pets did not statistically differ by animal species, meaning that people in our sample felt on average as emotionally close to, for example, their guinea pig as they felt to their dog.”
“It will be important to ensure that pet owners are appropriately supported in caring for their pet during the pandemic,” she added.
Co-author of the study Prof. Daniel Mills said, “This work is particularly important at the current time as it indicates how having a companion animal in your home can buffer against some of the psychological stress associated with lockdown.”
“However, it is important that everyone appreciates their pet’s needs too, as our other work shows failing to meet these can have a detrimental effect for both people and their pets,” he added.
Dr. Ratschen said, “While our study showed that having a pet may mitigate some of the detrimental psychological effects of the Covid-19 lockdown, it is important to understand that this finding is unlikely to be of clinical significance and does not warrant any suggestion that people should acquire pets to protect their mental health during the pandemic.” In the UK, more than 40% of households are estimated to own at least one pet.
