Family Bonds with Pets and Mental Health during COVID-19 in Australia: A Complex Picture
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Design
2.1.1. Context
2.1.2. Measures
2.2. Benefits, Worries, and Pet-Related Activities
2.3. Parent and Child Mental Health
2.3.1. Recruitment
2.3.2. Statistical Analyses
3. Results
3.1. Sample Descriptive
3.2. Aim 1: Perceived Benefits, Worries and Pet-Related Activities during COVID-19
3.3. Aim 2: Associations between Poor Parent and Child Mental Health and Perceived Benefits, Worries and Pet-Related Activities
4. Discussion
Limitations and Future Research
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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N (%) | |
---|---|
Benefits of Pet (possible score 1–5) | Quite or Very Helpful |
Your own mental well-being | 809 (78.2) |
Child’s mental well-being | 828 (80.2) |
Your physical well-being | 624 (60.3) |
Child’s physical well-being | 582 (56.3) |
Maintaining family routines | 677 (65.5) |
Worries about Pet (possible score0–4) | Quite a Bit or a Lot of Worry |
Worries about caring for pet (e.g., paying for food, accessing vet care). | 67 (6.5) |
Worries about interactions between pet and child | 26 (2.5) |
Worries about pet’s behaviour (e.g., biting, scratching, barking) | 61 (5.9) |
Worries about your pet’s emotional well-being (e.g., seems unsettled or anxious) | 85 (8.2) |
Worries about how pet is adjusting to changes in your family routines | 77 (7.5) |
Pet-Related Activities (possible score 0–3) | Often or Every Day |
Talked to them as if they understand you | 848 (82.2) |
Allowed them to sleep in/on the same bed as you or your child | 632 (61.2) |
Referred to yourself as their ‘parent’ | 751 (72.9) |
Given them treats or new toys | 579 (56.1) |
Cooked or made treats for them | 301 (29.3) |
Left on the heating/cooling, lights, or TV/radio for them | 405 (39.2) |
Rearranged personal commitments around them | 296 (28.7) |
Taught them tricks or trained them to do something | 359 (34.9) |
Given them premium/expensive pet food or human food | 641 (62.1) |
Participated in cat/dog groups or pages on social media | 417 (40.6) |
Created or posted content to a social media account for them | 246 (23.9) |
Dressed them in outfits/costumes | 50 (4.9) |
Worn matching outfits/accessories with them | 5 (0.5) |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Parent Mental Health | - | 0.34 *** | 0.07 * | 0.33 *** | 0.11 *** |
2. Child Anxiety | - | 0.14 *** | 0.23 *** | 0.15 *** | |
3. Benefits | - | 0.05 | 0.47 *** | ||
4. Worries | - | 0.21 *** | |||
5. Pet-Related Activities | - |
Full Sample | Parent | Child | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-Clinical (N = 892) | Clinical (N = 140) | p (ES) | Non-Clinical (N = 826) | Clinical (N = 208) | p (ES) | ||
Parent Mental Health, M (SD), possible score: 6–30 | 12.8 (5.1) | 11.3 (3.5) | 22.2 (2.8) | - | 12.1 (4.7) | 15.3 (5.5) | - |
Child Anxiety, M (SD), possible score: 4–16 | 6.8 (2.4) | 6.6 (2.2) | 8.4 (2.9) | - | 5.8 (1.3) | 10.7 (1.8) | - |
Total Benefits, M (SD) possible score: 5–25 | 19.7 (3.3) | 19.7 (3.3) | 20.0 (3.6) | 0.32 (0.09) | 19.6 (3.3) | 20.3 (3.3) | <0.01 (0.23) |
Total Worries, M (SD) possible score: 0–20 | 3.2 (3.3) | 2.9 (3.1) | 5.1 (4.0) | <0.001 (0.66) | 2.9 (3.2) | 4.3 (3.7) | <0.001 (0.43) |
Total Activities, M (SD), possible score: 0–39 | 16.6 (7.1) | 16.3 (6.9) | 18.5 (7.8) | <0.001 (0.31) | 16.1 (7.0) | 18.7 (7.1) | <0.001 (0.37) |
Parent Mental Health | Child Anxiety | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-Clinical (N = 892) | Clinical (N = 140) | p (ES) | Non-Clinical (N = 826) | Clinical (N = 208) | p (ES) | |
Benefits of Pet, M (SD), possible score: 1–5 | ||||||
Your own mental well-being | 4.1 (0.8) | 4.2 (0.9) | 0.39 (0.08) | 4.1 (0.8) | 4.2 (0.8) | 0.005 (0.22) |
Child’s mental well-being | 4.2 (0.8) | 4.3 (0.8) | 0.10 (0.15) | 4.1 (0.8) | 4.4 (0.7) | <0.001 (0.39) |
Your physical well-being | 3.8 (0.9) | 3.8 (1.0) | 0.96 (0.00) | 3.8 (0.9) | 3.9 (1.0) | 0.39 (0.07) |
Child’s physical well-being | 3.7 (0.9) | 3.8 (1.0) | 0.31 (0.09) | 3.7 (0.9) | 3.9 (0.9) | 0.003 (0.23) |
Maintaining family routines | 3.9 (0.9) | 3.9 (0.9) | 0.72 (0.03) | 3.9 (0.9) | 3.9 (0.9) | 0.96 (0.00) |
Worries about Pet, M (SD) (possible score 0–4) | ||||||
Worries about caring for pet (e.g., paying for food, accessing vet care). | 0.6 (0.9) | 1.4 (1.3) | <0.001 (0.84) | 0.6 (0.9) | 1.0 (1.1) | <0.001 (0.39) |
Worries about interactions between pet and child | 0.3 (0.7) | 0.6 (0.9) | <0.001 (0.42) | 0.3 (0.7) | 0.4 (0.8) | 0.049 (0.15) |
Worries about pet’s behaviour (e.g., biting, scratching, barking) | 0.6 (0.9) | 0.8 (1.1) | 0.012 (0.23) | 0.6 (0.9) | 0.8 (1.0) | 0.02 (0.18) |
Worries about your pet’s emotional well-being (e.g., seems unsettled or anxious) | 0.7 (1.0) | 1.1 (1.2) | <0.001 (0.39) | 0.7 (1.0) | 1.1 (1.2) | <0.001 (0.43) |
Worries about how pet is adjusting to changes in your family routines | 0.7 (1.0) | 1.1 (1.2) | <0.001 (0.44) | 0.7 (1.0) | 1.0 (1.2) | <0.001 (0.30) |
Pet-Related Activities, M (SD) (possible score 0–3) | ||||||
Talked to them as if they understand you | 2.4 (0.9) | 2.4 (0.8) | 0.43 (0.07) | 2.3 (0.9) | 2.5 (0.8) | 0.014 (0.19) |
Allowed them to sleep in/on the same bed as you or your child | 1.8 (1.3) | 2.0 (1.2) | 0.04 (0.18) | 1.8 (1.3) | 2.0 (1.3) | 0.08 (0.14) |
Referred to yourself as their ‘parent’ | 2.1 (1.1) | 2.2 (1.2) | 0.46 (0.07) | 2.1 (1.1) | 2.3 (1.0) | 0.008 (0.21) |
Given them treats or new toys | 1.7 (0.9) | 1.7 (1.0) | 0.89 (0.01) | 1.6 (0.9) | 1.8 (0.9) | 0.007 (0.21) |
Cooked or made treats for them | 1.0 (1.0) | 1.2 (1.1) | 0.03 (0.20) | 0.9 (1.0) | 1.2 (1.1) | 0.006 (0.22) |
Left on the heating/cooling, lights, or TV/radio for them | 1.2 (1.1) | 1.5 (1.2) | <0.001 (0.31) | 1.2 (1.1) | 1.4 (1.1) | 0.001 (0.25) |
Rearranged personal commitments around them | 1.0 (1.0) | 1.3 (1.0) | 0.004 (0.26) | 1.0 (0.9) | 1.2 (1.1) | <0.001 (0.26) |
Taught them tricks or trained them to do something | 1.1 (1.0) | 1.3 (1.1) | 0.03 (0.19) | 1.1 (1.0) | 1.3 (1.0) | 0.007 (0.21) |
Given them premium/expensive pet food or human food | 1.8 (1.1) | 2.1 (1.0) | 0.01 (0.23) | 1.8 (1.1) | 2.1 (1.0) | 0.003 (0.23) |
Participated in cat/dog groups or pages on social media | 1.2 (1.2) | 1.4 (1.2) | 0.25 (0.10) | 1.2 (1.2) | 1.5 (1.2) | 0.006 (0.21) |
Created or posted content to a social media account for them | 0.7 (1.0) | 0.9 (1.1) | 0.04 (0.19) | 0.7 (1.0) | 1.0 (1.1) | <0.001 (0.27) |
Dressed them in outfits/costumes | 0.2 (0.5) | 0.5 (0.8) | <0.001 (0.42) | 0.2 (0.5) | 0.4 (0.8) | 0.002 (0.24) |
Worn matching outfits/accessories with them | 0.03 (0.2) | 0.1 (0.3) | 0.12 (0.14) | 0.03 (0.2) | 0.1 (0.3) | 0.012 (0.20) |
Model 1: High Benefits | Model 2: High Worries | Model 3: High Activities | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unadj OR (95% CI) | Adj OR (95% CI) | Unadj OR (95% CI) | Adj OR (95% CI) | Unadj OR (95% CI) | Adj OR (95% CI) | |
Parent: Clinical Range | 1.24 (0.79, 1.94) | 1.05 (0.64, 1.73) | 3.20 *** (2.15, 4.76) | 2.56 *** (1.64, 3.99) | 1.65 * (1.11, 2.46) | 1.32 (0.85, 2.06) |
Child: Clinical Range | 1.61 * (1.11, 2.33) | 1.50 (0.996, 2.26) | 1.99 *** (1.38, 2.87) | 1.40 (0.92, 2.14) | 2.07 *** (1.48, 2.91) | 1.82 ** (1.25, 2.66) |
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Bennetts, S.K.; Howell, T.; Crawford, S.; Burgemeister, F.; Burke, K.; Nicholson, J.M. Family Bonds with Pets and Mental Health during COVID-19 in Australia: A Complex Picture. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 5245. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20075245
Bennetts SK, Howell T, Crawford S, Burgemeister F, Burke K, Nicholson JM. Family Bonds with Pets and Mental Health during COVID-19 in Australia: A Complex Picture. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(7):5245. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20075245
Chicago/Turabian StyleBennetts, Shannon K., Tiffani Howell, Sharinne Crawford, Fiona Burgemeister, Kylie Burke, and Jan M. Nicholson. 2023. "Family Bonds with Pets and Mental Health during COVID-19 in Australia: A Complex Picture" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 7: 5245. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20075245