ESCP Europe

Langue

English

Publication year

15/04/2025

Simple Summary: Pet ownership is sometimes, but not always, associated with better mental health, so it is necessary to consider factors influencing this relationship, such as the owner's attachment to the pet. This systematic review examined 116 peer-reviewed studies that assessed the relationship between pet attachment and mental health and wellbeing outcomes. The results of these studies were mixed, with some finding that stronger attachment is associated with better mental health, some finding that it is associated with worse mental health while others found no relationship. Having a stronger attachment to one's pet tended to be associated with better mental health when investigating outcomes in children, and when investigating outcomes related to wellbeing, compared to studies that investigated adults or outcomes related to mental health symptomology. The owners' relationship with other people may also influence the relationship between their attachment to pets and mental health. However, as most studies were cross-sectional, we are unable to draw conclusions about the direction of causation of this relationship. Given that pet ownership is common, how this relationship may affect owners' mental health and wellbeing and what factors may be influencing this has implications for the health of pet owners. While pet ownership is sometimes associated with better mental health, research on this relationship has been inconsistent. Some researchers have considered what factors may impact this relationship, such as owners' attachment to their pets. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate how attachment to pets relates to owner mental health and wellbeing. This review followed PRISMA guidelines. Searches were conducted using PsychInfo, Scopus and Google Scholar. Any peer-reviewed empirical studies, in English, investigating attachment to pets and mental health and wellbeing outcomes, were included. Of the 116 included studies, 15 studies found that higher attachment was associated with better mental health, 22 studies found that higher attachment was associated with worse mental health, 36 studies found mixed results and 33 studies found no significant relationship. Having a stronger attachment to one's pet tended to be associated with better mental health when investigating outcomes in children, and when investigating outcomes related to wellbeing. Stronger attachment tended to be associated with worse mental health when investigating mental health symptomology (e.g., depression and anxiety). It may also be influenced by the owner's relationships with other people. Due to the cross-sectional design used by studies in this review, we cannot infer the direction of causality for the relationship between attachment to pets and mental health. Results indicate that having a strong attachment to one's pet is not necessarily associated with better mental health and wellbeing. Future longitudinal research is needed to better understand how attachment to pets affects mental health, and what factors may influence this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]