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The Role of Pet Companionship in Older Adults’ Mental Health: A Qualitative Study during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

S. von Humboldt ,
S. Silva  and
I. Leal
S. von Humboldt*
Affiliation:
1William James Center for Research, ISPA – Instituto Universitário
S. Silva
Affiliation:
2ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
I. Leal
Affiliation:
1William James Center for Research, ISPA – Instituto Universitário
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Human functioning in the physical, emotional, psychological, and social arenas is improved by contact with animals.

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the affective relationship of older adults with their pets during the COVID-19 pandemic; and to assess how the affective relationship with pets contributed to older adults’ mental health.

Methods

This qualitative study included 176 participants aged 65-88 years from Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Spain. All interviews went through content analysis.

Results

Findings indicated five themes: (1) Meaningful Emotional Relations (86%); (2) Intimacy with Partners (68%); (3) New Emotional Connections (61%); (4) Sensory Stimulation (55%); and; (5) Physical Enjoyment (23%). As for the second objective, three main themes emerged from the content analysis: (1) Decreasing Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms (73%); (2) Easing Feelings of Loneliness (68%); and (3) Reducing Mood Swings (43%).

Conclusions

The affective relationship between older adults and their pets was relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic, since it allowed for solidifying affection relationships with their partner and creating new ones. Additionally, it contributed for deepening the affective relationship with themselves, in terms of sensory stimulus, physical touch and physical pleasure. Owning a pet, was important for improvement in mental health symptoms, associated to depression, anxiety, and mood swings.

Keywords: Affective relationship; animal companionship; COVID-19 pandemic; mental health; older adults; pets.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 67 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2024 , pp. S150 - S151
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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