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Published (Version of Record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Parent and child mental health during COVID-19 in Australia: The role of pet attachment
PLoS ONE, Vol.17(7), e0271687
2022
Abstract
Restrictions, social isolation, and uncertainty related to the global COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted the ways that parents and children maintain family routines, health, and wellbeing. Companion animals (pets) can be a critical source of comfort during traumatic experiences, although changes to family routines, such as those caused by COVID-19, can also bring about challenges like managing undesirable pet behaviours or pet-human interactions. We aimed to examine the relationship between pet attachment and mental health for both parents and their children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. A total of 1,034 parents living with a child under 18 years and a cat or dog completed an online cross-sectional survey between July and October 2020. Path analysis using multivariate linear regression was conducted to examine associations between objective COVID-19 impacts, subjective worry about COVID-19, human-pet attachment, and mental health. After adjusting for core demographic factors, stronger pet-child attachment was associated with greater child anxiety (parent-reported, p < .001). Parent-pet attachment was not associated with self-reported psychological distress (p = .42), however, parents who reported a strong emotional closeness with their pet reported greater psychological distress (p = .002). Findings highlight the role of pets during times of change and uncertainty. It is possible that families are turning to animals as a source of comfort, during a time when traditional social supports are less accessible. Alternatively, strong pet attachment is likely to reflect high levels of empathy, which might increase vulnerability to psychological distress. Longitudinal evidence is required to delineate the mechanisms underpinning pet attachment and mental health.
Details
- Title
- Parent and child mental health during COVID-19 in Australia: The role of pet attachment
- Authors/Creators
- S.K. Bennetts (Author/Creator) - La Trobe UniversityS.B. Crawford (Author/Creator)T.J. Howell (Author/Creator)F. Burgemeister (Author/Creator)C. Chamberlain (Author/Creator)K. Burke (Author/Creator)J.M. Nicholson (Author/Creator)
- Publication Details
- PLoS ONE, Vol.17(7), e0271687
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science
- Identifiers
- 991005542469007891
- Copyright
- © 2022 Bennetts et al.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Ngangk Yira Institute for Change; Ngangk Yira Aboriginal Health Research Centre
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.232 Veterinary Sciences
- 3.232.1375 Human-Animal Bond
- Web Of Science research areas
- Veterinary Sciences
- ESI research areas
- Psychiatry/Psychology