Theoretical Foundations to the Impact of Dog-Related Activities on Human Hedonic Well-Being, Life Satisfaction and Eudaimonic Well-Being

Young adults' views on the mechanisms underpinning the impact of pets on symptoms of anxiety and depression

Introduction

Emerging adulthood is considered a peak age for the onset of mental health difficulties with approximately 75% of mental health disorders being diagnosed during this developmental period. Companion animals confer both risk and benefits to mental health yet the potential underpinning mechanisms which explain such impacts are not fully understood. This study aimed to gather an in-depth understanding of young adults' lived experience of how their companion dogs and cats may impact their mental health symptoms and the perceived mechanisms which explain their effects.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 16 young adults aged 18-26 years, from the United Kingdom, who either had a companion dog, cat, or both. All participants had difficulties with anxiety and or depression, and 12 had received a formal diagnosis of an affective disorder.

Results

Five overarching themes and one subtheme were identified through reflexive thematic analysis using an inductive approach: Theme 1: Pet impact on generalized anxiety and panic, Subtheme 1A: Pet impact on social anxiety and loneliness; Theme 2: Pet impact on low mood, depression, and stress; Theme 3: Pet impact on severe mental health and suicide prevention; Theme 4: Staying well; Theme 5: Positive outlook and successful futures. Several perceived mechanisms underpinning the impacts of pets for mental health were also identified.

Discussion

These findings have relevance for the development and evaluation of mental health interventions and treatment protocols aimed at young adults with mental health difficulties, where companion animals may prove to be effective for symptom management and improvements in positive wellbeing.

Behavior Problems Associated with Pain and Paresthesia

Pain is a subjective, aversive sensory and emotional experience and can cause or exacerbate problem behaviors. In this review, the biobehavioral model of pain is introduced and used to improve understanding by veterinarians of pain mechanisms and their relationship with problem behaviors. A range of potential indicators of discomfort are presented, illustrated by selected cases from the authors' behavior and pain referral clinics. Various myths exist around pain resulting in barriers to reporting assessment and treatment. Veterinarians should always consider discomfort in any case presenting with a problem behavior.

Dog owner mental health is associated with dog behavioural problems, dog care and dog-facilitated social interaction: a prospective cohort study

Despite numerous qualitative and cross-sectional studies investigating how dog-related factors may impact owners' well-being, empirical studies to test these causal effects are lacking. This prospective cohort study examined the correlation and potential causal effect of 17 dog-related factors with six well-being outcomes (depression, anxiety, loneliness, suicidal ideation, hedonic well-being and eudaimonic well-being) in dog owners. Over a four-week period, 709 adult dog owners reported their weekly well-being and occurrence of each dog-related factor (e.g. how many times they ran with their dogs). A random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) with significance threshold set at 0.001 was used. Six factors correlated with poorer owner well-being (i.e. aggressive dog behaviour, fearful dog behaviour, poor dog health, failure to provide for the dog, lack of control over the dog, and dog presence). Only 'friendly conversation with others due to the dog' correlated with better well-being. Purposeful reductions in the frequency of dog behavioural and health-related issues are likely to improve owner well-being, as well as greater consistency in dog care (i.e. provide for the dog) and more engagement in friendly dog-facilitated social interactions. No potential causal effects were significant. Further studies investigating causal relationships are essential to improve people's well-being through dog ownership.

The Perks of Pet Ownership? The Effects of Pet Ownership on Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Pet ownership has often been lauded as a protective factor for well-being, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. We expanded this question to consider how pet (i.e., species, number) and owner (i.e., pet relationship quality, personality, attachment orientations) characteristics affected the association between pet ownership and well-being in a pre-registered mixed method analysis of 767 people assessed three times in May 2020. In our qualitative analyses, pet owners listed both benefits and costs of pet ownership during the COVID-19 pandemic. In our quantitative analyses, we found that pet ownership was not reliably associated with well-being. Furthermore, this association largely did not depend on the number of pets owned, the species of pet(s) owned, the quality of the human-pet relationship, or the owner's psychological characteristics. Our findings are consistent with a large body of research showing null associations of pet ownership on well-being (quantitatively) but positive reports of pet ownership (qualitatively).

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Behavioural Tendencies of Cats and Dogs in Japan

Physical and mental effects stemming from COVID-19 have impacted not only people's lives but also the lives of their pets, which in recent years are often seen as members of the family. This study aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan on pets and their owners. Participants reported changes in physical activity and mental health, as well as working conditions and frequency of interaction with pets, before and after behavioural restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also asked about their pets' behaviours using the Feline Behavioural Assessment and Research Questionnaire (Fe-BARQ) and the Canine Behavioural Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). This study showed that most cat and dog owners spent more time at home due to the COVID-19 behavioural restrictions and that the frequency of contact interaction with their pets increased. However, this study showed higher stress-related behaviours (e.g., cats: excessive grooming; dogs: aggression towards owners) among pets whose owners increased contact interaction. Furthermore, owners' low mental health was correlated with high stress-related behaviours (e.g., touch sensitivity) in pets. The results of this study indicate that the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan may have affected not only the lives of owners but also the interaction between owners and their pets, and consequently their pets' behaviours. Therefore, there is also concern that changes in lifestyle patterns caused by pandemics could form a negative feedback loop between the health status of both owners and their pets.

Links between pet ownership and exercise on the mental health of veterinary professionals

Background

Connections between the effects of pet ownership and exercise on mental health have previously been demonstrated in different populations. However, little is known about the potential effects of pet ownership and exercise on the mental health of veterinary professionals. Since these individuals have a high prevalence of poor mental health and suicide, while they deal with pets professionally, we investigated the impact of pet ownership, exercise and different types of pet ownership on this demographic group.

Method

Veterinary professionals over 18 years old answered an online questionnaire about pet ownership, exercise, mental health (including anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation) and mental health correlates. Regression models were used to identify variables significantly related to mental health outcomes.

Results

Of 1087 respondents, pet owners were more depressed than non-owners, while anxiety or suicidal ideation was not associated with pet ownership. Dog and horse owners were psychologically healthier (less anxiety, less suicidal ideation) than non-owners of these species. Veterinary professionals who ran regularly had lower anxiety and depression. Those who walked regularly and spent less time sitting experienced fewer depression symptoms.

Conclusions

Running, walking and avoiding prolonged sitting might protect the mental health of veterinary professionals. The type of pet owned may be an important factor in the relationship between pet ownership and mental health; however, generally, pet ownership was associated with worse mental health outcomes in this demographic group. Future studies should determine the causal nature of these relationships.

Assistance Dogs for People with Younger (Early)-Onset Dementia: The Family Carer's Experience

There is growing evidence for trained assistance dogs promoting the health, wellbeing, and quality of life of people in a variety of circumstances, including for those with dementia. Little is known about people with younger (early)-onset dementia (YOD) and family carers. As part of a larger study involving 14 people with YOD matched with trained assistance dogs over a two-year period, we report analyses of interviews with 10 family carers conducted on multiple occasions investigating their experience with an assistance dog. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and subjected to inductive thematic analysis. They told a range of experiences; the good and the challenging. Findings fell into three areas: the human-animal bond; relationship dynamics; and responsibility for caring. Concerns were raised with respect to the resources required of carers together with the financial resources needed to support an assistance dog. The study concludes that trained assistance dogs can play an important role promoting the health and wellbeing of both people with YOD and of their family carers. However, support needs to be in place as the circumstances of the family member with YOD changes and the role of the assistance dog as part of the family also changes. Practical (financial) support of a scheme such as the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) could be important to sustaining such support.

Understanding Canine 'Reactivity': Species-Specific Behaviour or Human Inconvenience?

Dogs are often referred to as "human's best friend," with many households in the United Kingdom and worldwide including a dog. Yet, whilst research highlights the myriad of human health benefits associated with canine companionship, many dogs are relinquished, or euthanized, for purported behavioral problems. A key behavior often cited in these situations is Reactivity, despite a lack of consensus in the literature (or in the lay population) as to exactly what is encompassed within this term. Resultantly, this paper reports on an online survey to investigate how the term Reactivity is understood by humans. Following the completion of a thematic analysis, six sub-themes were developed, forming three overarching theme clusters, namely; Canine Characteristics, The Importance of Human Perception and Human Capability. In sum, this research highlights the complex, nuanced and, sometimes, contradictory nature of understanding around the label of Reactivity, encompassing both canine and human factors. As such, conclusions include the proposal of a preliminary Perceived Reactivity Framework to conceptualize this seemingly multi-faceted concept.

Clinical Animal Behaviour: Paradigms, Problems and Practice

Both the public and clinicians are interested in the application of scientific knowledge concerning problem animal behaviour and its treatment. However, in order to do this effectively it is essential that individuals have not only scientific literacy but also an appreciation of philosophical concepts underpinning a particular approach and their practical implications on the knowledge generated as a result. This paper highlights several common misunderstandings and biases associated with different scientific perspectives relevant to clinical animal behaviour and their consequences for how we determine what may be a useful treatment for a given patient. In addition to more reflective evaluation of results, there is a need for researchers to report more information of value to clinicians; such as relevant treatment outcomes, effect sizes, population characteristics. Clinicians must also appreciate the limitations of population level study results to a given case. These challenges can however be overcome with the careful critical reflection using the scientific principles and caveats described.

Child–Dog Attachment, Emotion Regulation and Psychopathology: The Mediating Role of Positive and Negative Behaviours

Emerging evidence suggests that pet dogs can offer features of a secure attachment which has been associated with healthy psychological development across the lifespan. Limited research has investigated the underpinning mechanisms that may contribute to the benefits and risks of child–dog attachment during childhood. This study aimed to test the potential mediating role of caregiver-observed positive and negative child–dog behaviours, on the relationship between child-reported child–dog attachment, and caregiver-reported child psychopathology and emotion regulation. Data from 117 caregiver reports and 77 child self-reports were collected through an online survey in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Parallel mediation analyses indicated that child–dog attachment had a significant indirect effect on conduct problems through negative child–dog behaviours only. Child–dog attachment had a significant indirect effect on emotional symptoms, peer problems, prosocial behaviour, emotion regulation, and emotional lability/negativity through both positive and negative child–dog behaviours. Although this study found modest effect sizes, the findings suggest that the types of interactions that children engage in with their pet dogs may be important mechanisms through which pet attachment contributes to psychological development throughout childhood, and therefore further attention is warranted. Positive and safe child–dog interactions can be facilitated through education and intervention, which may have implications for promoting positive developmental outcomes.