Emily Chan
Getting a furry, four-legged friend has always seemed like the perfect way to stay active and combat loneliness. They are known for offering companionship, reducing stress, and boosting your mood.
So, of course, we would think that they provide a lot of benefits to our mental health. However, a new study has found that our pets may not make as much of a positive difference in our lives as we thought.
Researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark and King’s College in London surveyed more than 6,000 residents in the United Kingdom aged 16 years or older to assess the relationship between pet ownership and mental health outcomes during the beginning of the pandemic.
The participants completed online questionnaires at the beginning of the study and at the three-month, six-month, and 12-month mark.
In the surveys, they had to rate their levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and anhedonia using standardized modules. They also shared information about demographics, lifestyle factors, and pet ownership.
The results of the study challenged the common idea that animal companions can lift all the gloom and sadness that comes with the pandemic.
The researchers monitored the participants’ mental health symptoms and pet ownership status between April 2020 and April 2021.
They discovered that pet owners did not show improved mental health outcomes. In fact, they had slightly higher levels of anxiety, depression, and anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure) than people who did not own any pets.
The lead author of the study, Christine Parsons, a professor with the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University, admitted that she was “genuinely surprised” by the findings and that it directly countered the popular belief that pets are beneficial for mental health.
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