It’s common wisdom that pets help confer certain physical and emotional health benefits to their owners. An advice column from The Times last month, in fact, suggested that the health benefits of pet ownership are global and generalized — that owning a pet has a positive correlation with wellbeing in most people. The research tells a different story, however — pet ownership can cause problems or be a burden for some.
Allen (2003) conducted a valuable review of the literature to-date about the benefits of pet ownership and concluded:
Several epidemiological and experimental studies have demonstrated that having a pet cat or dog can have significant cardiovascular benefits. Although the idea that a pet serves as social support may appear peculiar to some people, pet owners talk to and confide in their pets and describe them as important friends. […]
An important consideration, however, is that media reports of the ability of pets to lower blood pressure are often highly inflated and misrepresent actual research.
Pets can be a healthy pleasure and provide social support to their owners. But the effects and benefits are not global in nature, nor do they apply to all people all the time. Pets appear to have a social facilitation effect on their owners, helping their owners perform tasks better and with less stress. They also appear to have a stress buffering effect — when a person is in need of unrestricted positive regard, pets provide such to their owners.
But not everyone benefits from pet ownership.
For instance, in one study of 2,551 individuals aged 60 to 64 years old, the researchers found that those who had a pet in their home reported more depressive symptoms (Parslow et al., 2005). The study also found that female pet owners who were married also had poorer physical health. The researchers discovered that caring for a pet was associated with negative health outcomes including more symptoms of depression, poorer physical health and higher rates of use of pain relief medication. This study suggested that pet ownership amongst many older people is more of a burden than a benefit.
What about for younger folks? In a 2006 survey of 2,291 adults in the U.S., researchers found that unmarried women who live with a pet have the fewest depressive symptoms, and unmarried men who live with a pet have the most (Tower et al., 2006). The researchers concluded, “single women benefit from pet companionship, whereas single men may be burdened by it.”
A dissertation published in 2004 by Amanda Smith examined 38 married couples, half of which who owned dogs and half who did not. She found no significant differences between the two groups on marital communication, stress levels, constructive communications, marital satisfaction, or consideration of divorce. In other words, the dog didn’t help (or hurt) the marriage.
If you’re considering a pet for help with your health or stress levels, keep in mind that pets are a responsibility (just like a child), not toys or “playthings.” You must take care of them, have them spayed or neutered, and ensure they are healthy with regular veterinarian visits at least once every other year (if not every year). And for many people, pets become important, actual members of their family, with all that entails.
Read the full article: Can a pet ease depression?
References
Allen, K. (2003). Are Pets a Healthy Pleasure? The Influence of Pets on Blood Pressure (PDF). Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12(6), 236-239.
Parslow, R.A., Jorm, A.F., & Christensen, H. (2005). Pet Ownership and Health in Older Adults: Findings from a Survey of 2,551 Community-Based Australians Aged 60-64. Gerontology, 51(1), 40-47.
Smith, A.D. (2004). Marital functioning and dog ownership: An exploratory study. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 65(1-B), 453.
Tower, R.B. & Nokota, M. (2006). Pet companionship and depression: Results from a United States Internet sample. Anthrozoös, 19(1), 50-64.
(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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6 Responses to “Pets Can Help — For Most” (Pingbacks/trackbacks not shown below)
Timo W at 11:03 am on
July 2nd, 2008
Well… But we may ask ourselves is the Parslow et al. (2005) study about pets making people depressive, or depressed people having more pets “not to be lonely”? In Parslow’s et al. study pet owners were also more psychotic (measured by EPQ-R), that may had been the case.
This kind of results doesn’t satisfy me, it’s a little bit blurry.
Wendy Aron at 11:08 am on
July 2nd, 2008
I got my pet cat, Simba, when I was a single, 36 year-old female who suffered from major depression. I can definitely say that she was a major stress/anxiety reliever. Now that I am married, the time I spend alone with her is still precious. She also comforted me during a time when my husband was in the hospital and I was in the house alone. At times,caring for her has been somewhat of an inconvenience, but the emotional health positives far outweigh the negatives.
Wendy Aron, author of Hide & Seek: How I Laughed at Depression, Conquered My Fears and Found Happiness.
www.wendyaron.com
Renée at 4:38 pm on
July 2nd, 2008
Interesting article, John, and that’s a very good point you make in the last paragraph.
But I do share Timo W’s concerns: some of these studies seem like they are relying too heavily on correlations, which of course don’t have to imply causality.
Meganmaria at 2:57 am on
July 3rd, 2008
I have owned and raised my cat (Zelda) since October 2004, and I got married in June 2007. (I am 21)
Zelda and I have a very close relationship actually. She is very consoling and will come from out of nowhere if I am sad, and in the morning, when my husband gets up, she comes into the room and lays on my back or next to my chest and stomach until I get up (sometimes a couple hours later) She has a knack for knowing when things are wrong - if my husband and I are arguing, you can bet your money that cat is going to come to the door and cry to be let into the room and then promptly rub up against us and purr and generally be incredibly affectionate.
It really is actually stress relieving because it breaks the tension, and I find it endearing that an animal instincitively knows when her owner is upset or in pain.
I am not understanding why caring for a cat would hinder my health in any way. Even before I was married, and now, the days where I felt really down, I still need to care for Zelly, but it always gave me up and purpose for getting up and moving about the house to clean and other things. Plus the fact she follows me like a puppy wherever I go.
I know that a lot of people don’t have the bond I have with Zelda, and I think what she and I share is very special. She is just very magical to me. I have had many other pets and actually have two other kitties and my husband has a 1yr old pup and we have a husky. I love them all but the bond with Zelda surpasses any sort of relationship I have ever had with any animal.
I do not think animals can help all people and I think it would be sort of insane to state as such; not everyone tolerates cat fur in their face in the morning. As far as animals goes therapeutically, not for everyone, I wouldn’t think. If you’re opposed to animals, have never liked them, or they’rfe just kind of “there,” then I don’t see someone changing suddenly by being introduced to an animal for therapy reasons. Of course there are people who are so lonely and reject a lot of human companionship yet yearn to feel wanted and loved and that can be found through caring for and raising a kitten or puppy, or being around one on a routine basis. They can be very relaxing.
Relating depression and pets is dumb in this study to put it lightly. It doesn’t mean the pets make the owners depressed.. I believe this study is VERY inconclusive..
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Well… But we may ask ourselves is the Parslow et al. (2005) study about pets making people depressive, or depressed people having more pets “not to be lonely”? In Parslow’s et al. study pet owners were also more psychotic (measured by EPQ-R), that may had been the case.
This kind of results doesn’t satisfy me, it’s a little bit blurry.
I got my pet cat, Simba, when I was a single, 36 year-old female who suffered from major depression. I can definitely say that she was a major stress/anxiety reliever. Now that I am married, the time I spend alone with her is still precious. She also comforted me during a time when my husband was in the hospital and I was in the house alone. At times,caring for her has been somewhat of an inconvenience, but the emotional health positives far outweigh the negatives.
Wendy Aron, author of Hide & Seek: How I Laughed at Depression, Conquered My Fears and Found Happiness.
www.wendyaron.com
Interesting article, John, and that’s a very good point you make in the last paragraph.
But I do share Timo W’s concerns: some of these studies seem like they are relying too heavily on correlations, which of course don’t have to imply causality.
I have owned and raised my cat (Zelda) since October 2004, and I got married in June 2007. (I am 21)
Zelda and I have a very close relationship actually. She is very consoling and will come from out of nowhere if I am sad, and in the morning, when my husband gets up, she comes into the room and lays on my back or next to my chest and stomach until I get up (sometimes a couple hours later) She has a knack for knowing when things are wrong - if my husband and I are arguing, you can bet your money that cat is going to come to the door and cry to be let into the room and then promptly rub up against us and purr and generally be incredibly affectionate.
It really is actually stress relieving because it breaks the tension, and I find it endearing that an animal instincitively knows when her owner is upset or in pain.
I am not understanding why caring for a cat would hinder my health in any way. Even before I was married, and now, the days where I felt really down, I still need to care for Zelly, but it always gave me up and purpose for getting up and moving about the house to clean and other things. Plus the fact she follows me like a puppy wherever I go.
I know that a lot of people don’t have the bond I have with Zelda, and I think what she and I share is very special. She is just very magical to me. I have had many other pets and actually have two other kitties and my husband has a 1yr old pup and we have a husky. I love them all but the bond with Zelda surpasses any sort of relationship I have ever had with any animal.
I do not think animals can help all people and I think it would be sort of insane to state as such; not everyone tolerates cat fur in their face in the morning. As far as animals goes therapeutically, not for everyone, I wouldn’t think. If you’re opposed to animals, have never liked them, or they’rfe just kind of “there,” then I don’t see someone changing suddenly by being introduced to an animal for therapy reasons. Of course there are people who are so lonely and reject a lot of human companionship yet yearn to feel wanted and loved and that can be found through caring for and raising a kitten or puppy, or being around one on a routine basis. They can be very relaxing.
Relating depression and pets is dumb in this study to put it lightly. It doesn’t mean the pets make the owners depressed.. I believe this study is VERY inconclusive..
