Depression, anxiety, and happiness in dog owners during the COVID-19 pandemic
A study evaluated 768 pet dog owners and 767 potential pet dog owners through an online survey. Participants were asked about feelings of depression, anxiety, happiness psychometric scales, attitude to and commitment towards pet, and perceived social support.
Potential pet dog owners were individuals who did not own a dog at the time of the survey but would be very or extremely interested in owning one in the future.
Dog owners reported that they had more social support available to them compared to potential dog owners, and their depression scores were also lower, compared to potential dog owners.
There were no differences in anxiety and happiness scores between the two groups.
The results suggest that dog ownership may have provided people with a stronger sense of social support, which in turn may have helped buffer some of the negative psychological impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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