A new study of middle-aged women found that having a high attachment to a furry companion was linked with lower anxiety.
“The level of attachment to a pet appears to be a crucial factor in how pets help reduce their owners’ risk of depression,” says corresponding author Eva Schernhammer, MD, DrPH, an adjunct professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
This bond may be even more impactful for certain groups, such as women who have endured childhood abuse, potentially depending on the person’s attachment style, says Dr. Schernhammer.
Women With Strong Bonds to Dogs Had Lower Depression and Anxiety
The aim of the study was to better understand if a close bond with a pet is linked with reduced depression and anxiety, especially in women who experienced childhood abuse.
Researchers included 214 women who had previously enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study 2, 140 of whom owned a pet; 56 percent owned a dog and 33 percent owned a cat. The control group for the study consisted of 74 participants who reported never owning a pet.
To better look at the impact of pet ownership on women with mental health issues, researchers purposefully (but randomly) oversampled those who reported childhood abuse, meaning they included a higher percentage than would normally be found in the general population.
The average age of the group was 61, and 156 women had a history of childhood abuse.
Participants were asked about feelings about and behaviors toward the pet they spent the most time with, such as if they considered them a friend, talked to them, played with them, and if they counted them as part of the family.
Researchers found that higher attachment to dogs was significantly linked with reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. Specifically, dog attachment was associated with lower scores in depression, generalized anxiety, and overall anxiety and depression symptoms. This effect was particularly pronounced among women with a history of childhood abuse.
These findings contribute to the existing literature, which has shown mixed results regarding the benefits of pet ownership, says Schernhammer.
“We hypothesize that these inconsistencies may arise because previous studies did not always assess the level of attachment to pets, which might be a more important factor than simply owning a pet,” she says.
Women With Cats Didn’t Have Lower Anxiety and Depression
While pet attachment overall was associated with lower generalized anxiety, no significant reduction in depression or anxiety was found for the women who were more attached to cats.
It’s not clear why that is — it may have been due to a smaller sample size of cat owners, or differences in the lifestyle and personalities of cat versus dog owners, according to the authors.
It could be because cats are generally more independent than dogs, and some people may feel that cats may lack the same level of companionship or emotional support as dogs, says Gloria Petruzzelli, PsyD, interim director of adult psychological services in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the UC Davis School of Medicine in California.
“Additionally, the social interactions encouraged by dogs — things like walking in the park or meeting other pet owners — may not be as prevalent with cats, who are more likely to stay indoors and may not encourage the same level of social engagement or physical activity,” says Dr. Petruzzelli, who was not involved in the study.
Love for Animals and Their Healing Power Inspires Researchers
Everyone on the research team owns pets and shares this same love for animals, says Schernhammer.
“Our research is driven by the growing evidence that pets benefit human health, and a desire to understand whether it’s simply owning a pet or the strength of the bond with the pet that matters more in these benefits,” she says.
In her own experience, Schernhammer has witnessed elderly residents find significant relief from anxiety and depression through the companionship of a pet.
“Pets bring comfort, diminish feelings of loneliness, and offer unconditional love and support. For example, my great-great-aunt lived in a retirement home in Vienna, where a stray cat unexpectedly ‘moved in,’” she recalls.
The residents quickly bonded with the cat, taking turns to pet, feed, and talk to her, says Schernhammer.
“The cat thrived in this nurturing environment, and the residents enjoyed a newfound sense of joy and connection through their interactions with her.”
Should You Consider Getting a Pet to Help With Symptoms of Depression or Anxiety?
There are many factors to consider before getting a pet, and it would be an overgeneralization to suggest that everyone with depression or anxiety would benefit from pet ownership, says Emily Hemendinger, LCSW, MPH, an assistant professor of psychiatry and clinical director of the OCD and Anxiety Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Programs at the University of Colorado Medical Campus in Anschutz.
“Pet ownership takes responsibility and commitment — financially, physically, and emotionally,” she says.
For many with depression and feelings of loneliness, a pet can make a huge difference in their life, leading them to get out of bed because they have another living creature to take care of who relies on them, says Hemendinger.
“However, for others, getting a pet can lead to more feelings of overwhelm, leading to more internalized feelings of shame, and therefore more depression and not being able to leave bed,” she says.
The same holds for people with anxiety. Some people may find it calming, while others might experience worry, separation anxiety, or guilt, says Hemendinger.
“Many people don’t know how they will respond to having a pet until they have the pet. If we can look more closely at those individual factors in pet ownership, then perhaps we can move towards more general recommendations,” she says.
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