PSYCHOLOGY IN EVERYDAY LIFE (HUM1022)

WINTER SEM PROJECT REPORT – 2019-2020

PROJECT REPORT

ON

“COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MENTAL HEALTH BETWEEN PET OWNERS AND

NON-PET OWNERS”

UNDER THE GUIDENCE OF

DR. TONY P JOSE

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCESS

SSL, VIT, VELLORE – 632014

BY

ABINAYA R 16MSI0026
SRIKANTH NATARAJAN 16MSI0077
SHRUTHI RAMA SUBBIAH 16MSI0104
RASHI SONI 17BMA0020
RITWIK CHATTERJEE 17BEE0121
RAAGUL S 15BEI0026

SLOT: G1

i
 DECLARATION

We, the students of VIT University, Vellore with registration numbers and names

16MSI0026 – ABINAYA R

16MSI0077 – SRIKANTH NATARAJAN

16MSI0104 – SHRUTHI RAMA SUBBIAH

17BMA0020 – RASHI SONI

17BEE0121 – RITWIK CHATTERJEE

15BEI0026 – RAAGUL S

Hereby, declare that the project report entitled “COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MENTAL
HEALTH BETWEEN PET OWNERS AND NON-PET OWNERS” submitted by us to VIT
University, Vellore, in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the course “PSYCHOLOGY IN
EVERYDAY LIFE” with course code HUM1022, is a bonafide work carried out by us under the
supervision of Prof. Tony P Jose, Department of Social Sciences, School of Social Sciences and
Languages, VIT University, Vellore – 632014. We further declare that the work reported in this
project has not been submitted and will not be submitted, either in part or in full, for the award of
any other degree or diploma in or any other Institute or University.

Place: Vellore

Date: 14.05.2020

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 CERTIFICATE FROM THE GUIDE

This is to certify that the project work entitled “COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MENTAL
HEALTH BETWEEN PET OWNERS AND NON-PET OWNERS” submitted by

16MSI0026 – ABINAYA R

16MSI0077 – SRIKANTH NATARAJAN

16MSI0104 – SHRUTHI RAMA SUBBIAH

17BMA0020 – RASHI SONI

17BEE0121 – RITWIK CHATTERJEE

15BEI0026 – RAAGUL S

To VIT University, Vellore, in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the course
“PSYCHOLOGY IN EVERYDAY LIFE” with course code HUM1022, is a bonafide work
carried out by him/her under my supervision. The project fulfils the requirement as per the
regulations of this University and in my opinion meets the necessary standards for submission.
The contents of this report have not been submitted and will not be submitted either in part or in
full, for the award of any other degree or diploma in this Institute or any other Institute or
University.

Place: Vellore

Date: 14.05.2020 Dr. Tony P Jose

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the outset, we thank the Almighty God for his blessings for granting us the knowledge
and right aptitude to successfully complete our project work.

We would like to express our special gratitude and thanks to our guide Prof. Tony P Jose,
School of Social Sciences and Languages, whose esteemed guidance and immense support
encouraged us to complete the project successfully.

We wish to express our sincere thanks to our Honorable Chancellor, Dr. G. Viswanathan;
esteemed Vice-Presidents, Shri. Sankar Viswanathan; Shri. Shekar Viswanathan and Shri. G. V.
Selvam; respected Vice Chancellor, Dr. Anand A. Samuel; respected Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr. S.
Narayanan of this prestigious VIT University, Vellore for providing us an excellent world class
academic environment and facilities for pursuing our degrees.

Our sincere gratitude lies to the Dean, Dr. G. Velmurugan, School of Social Sciences and
Languages, and Head of the Department of Social Sciences for providing us an opportunity to do
our project work in VIT University.

We also thank all the faculty members of the School of Social Sciences and Languages
and the non-teaching staff for giving us the courage and strength that we needed to achieve our
goals.

Our special thanks to our friends for their timely help and suggestions rendered for the
successful completion of this project.

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 INDEX
Table of contents:

SL. NO. TITLE PAGE NO.

1. Introduction 8 – 15

2. Review of Literature 16 – 21

3. Methodology 22

4. Results and Discussion 23 – 30

5. Conclusion 31

6. References 32 – 34

7. Appendix 35

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 LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

PARTICULARS PAGE NO.

Chart 1 Age Distribution of Respondents 23

Chart 2 Type of Respondents 23

Chart 3 Frequency of Anxiety and Tension 24

Chart 4 Frequency of Restlessness 24

Chart 5 Frequency of Nervousness 25

Chart 6 Frequency of Loneliness 25

Chart 7 Frequency of Hopelessness 26

Chart 8 Frequency of Anger 26

Chart 9 Frequency of Headache 27

Chart 10 Frequency of Tiredness 27

Chart 11 Frequency of Disturbed Sleep 28

Chart 12 Frequency of Indigestion 28

Chart 13 Frequency of Acidity 29

Table 1 Group Statistics 29

Table 2 T – Test for Equality of Means 30

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MENTAL HEALTH BETWEEN PET
OWNERS AND NON-PET OWNERS

Abstract
Pets are known to come with powerful mental health benefits. The present study tries to
comparatively analyze the mental health between pet owners and non-pet owners.
Convenient samples of about 200 people were selected for this study, among them 100
people were pet owners, while the rest were non-pet owners. The parameters that were
taken into account for the study were: anxiety & tension, restlessness, nervousness,
loneliness, hopelessness, anger, headache, tiredness, disturbed sleep, indigestion and
acidity. Responses were collected through google forms and analysis were done based on
Likert scale scoring. The method used for the study was independent sample t-test. At the
end of our study we were able to prove that, there is a significant difference in the mental
well-being of people who own pets compared to those who do not own pets.

▪ Key words: Mental health, Pets owners, non-pet owners

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 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MENTAL HEALTH BETWEEN
PET OWNERS AND NON-PET OWNERS

CHAPTER – I

NATURE & SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Introduction

Pets come with some powerful mental health benefits. Here’s how caring for a dog or cat can
help you cope with depression, anxiety, and stress. Most pet owners are clear about the
immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with companion animals. However, many of us
remain unaware of the physical and mental health benefits that can also accompany the pleasure
of snuggling up to a furry friend. It’s only recently that studies have begun to scientifically
explore the benefits of the human-animal bond.

Pets have evolved to become acutely attuned to humans and our behavior and emotions. Dogs,
for example, are able to understand many of the words we use, but they’re even better at
interpreting our tone of voice, body language, and gestures (Robinson and Segal, 2019). And like
any good human friend, a loyal dog will look into your eyes to gauge your emotional state and try
to understand what you’re thinking and feeling (and to work out when the next walk or treat
might be coming, of course).

Pets, especially dogs and cats, can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness,
encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health. Caring for an
animal can help children grow up more secure and active. Pets also provide valuable
companionship for older adults. Perhaps most importantly, though, a pet can add real joy and
unconditional love to your life.

Studies have found that:

• Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets (NIMH,
2018).
• People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without
pets.
• One study even found that when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs
from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months.
• Playing with a dog or cat can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm
and relax.

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 • Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease)
than those without pets.
• Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without.
• Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those
without pets.

While people with pets often experience the greatest health benefits, a pet doesn’t necessarily
have to be a dog or a cat. Even watching fish in an aquarium can help reduce muscle tension and
lower pulse rate.

One of the reasons for these therapeutic effects is that pets fulfill the basic human need for touch.
Even hardened criminals in prison show long-term changes in their behavior after interacting
with pets, many of them experiencing mutual affection for the first time (Prabhu, 2015). Stroking,
hugging, or otherwise touching a loving animal can rapidly calm and soothe you when you’re
stressed or anxious. The companionship of a pet can also ease loneliness, and most dogs are a
great stimulus for healthy exercise, which can substantially boost your mood and ease depression.

Adopting healthy lifestyle changes plays an important role in easing symptoms of depression,
anxiety, stress, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. Caring for a pet can help you make healthy lifestyle
changes by:

• Increasing exercise. Taking a dog for a walk, hike or run are fun and rewarding ways
to fit healthy daily exercise into your schedule. Studies have shown that dog owners
are far more likely to meet their daily exercise requirements—and exercising every
day is great for the animal as well. It will deepen the connection between you,
eradicate most behavior problems in dogs, and keep your pet fit and healthy.
• Providing companionship. Companionship can help prevent illness and even add
years to your life, while isolation and loneliness can trigger symptoms of depression.
Caring for a live animal can help make you feel needed and wanted, and take the
focus away from your problems, especially if you live alone (Narayan, 2014). Most
dog and cat owners talk to their pets, some even use them to work through their
troubles. And nothing beats loneliness like coming home to a wagging tail or purring
cat.
• Helping you meet new people. Pets can be a great social lubricant for their owners,
helping you start and maintain new friendships. Dog owners frequently stop and talk
to each other on walks, hikes, or in a dog park. Dog owners also meet new people in
pet stores, clubs, and training classes.
• Reducing anxiety. The companionship of an animal can offer comfort, help ease
anxiety, and build self-confidence for people anxious about going out into the world.
Because pets live in the moment—they don’t worry about what happened yesterday or
what might happen tomorrow—they can help you become more mindful and
appreciate the joy of the present.

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 • Adding structure and routine to your day. Many pets, especially dogs, require a
regular feeding and exercise schedule. Having a consistent routine keeps an animal
balanced and calm—and it can work for you, too. No matter your mood—depressed,
anxious, or stressed—one plaintive look from your pet and you’ll have to get out of
bed to feed, exercise, and care for them.
• Providing sensory stress relief. Touch and movement are two healthy ways to
quickly manage stress. Stroking a dog, cat, or other animal can lower blood pressure
and help you quickly feel calmer and less stressed (Sullivan, 2015).

Some of the criteria used to judge the mental health of a person are anxiety, loneliness,
hopelessness, nervousness, restlessness, anger, headaches, tiredness, sleep deprivation, acidity,
and indigestion. We will now discuss how these are linked to the psychology of a person.

1. DISTURBED SLEEP

Sleep-related disorders (SRDs) though frequent, are under-reported and their implications are
often neglected.

Good sleep is necessary for optimal health and can affect hormone levels, mood and weight.
Sleep problems, including snoring, sleep apnea, insomnia, sleep deprivation, and restless legs
syndrome, are common (Panda S. et al., 2012).

Children and adolescents need at least nine hours of sleep per night. Sleep problems and a lack of
sleep can have negative effects on children's performance in school, during extracurricular
activities, and in social relationships.

A lack of sleep may cause:

• Accidents and injuries

• Behavior problems
• Mood problems
• Memory, concentration, and learning problems
• Performance problems
• Slower reaction times
• Overeating

Signs of Sleep Problems

• Snoring
• Breathing pauses during sleep
• Difficulty falling asleep
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 • Problems with sleeping through the night
• Difficulty staying awake during the day
• Unexplained decrease in daytime performance
• Unusual events during sleep such as sleepwalking or nightmares

Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which you have trouble falling and/or staying asleep (Ratini,
2020). The condition can be short-term (acute) or can last a long time (chronic). It may also come
and go. Symptoms of insomnia include:

• Sleepiness during the day

• Fatigue
• Grumpiness
• Problems with concentration or memory

Causes of insomnia include:

• Stress related to big life events, like a job loss or change, the death of a loved one,
divorce, or moving.
• Things around you like noise, light, or temperature.
• Changes to your sleep schedule like jet lag, a new shift at work, or bad habits you
picked up when you had other sleep problems.
• Mental health issues like depression and anxiety
• Medications for colds, allergies, depression, high blood pressure, and asthma
• Pain or discomfort at night.
• Caffeine, tobacco, or alcohol use.
• Other sleep disorders, like sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome.

2. ANXIETY

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It’s a feeling of fear or apprehension about
what’s to come. The first day of school, going to a job interview, or giving a speech may cause
most people to feel fearful and nervous.

Teenagers may have many reasons to be anxious. Tests, college visits, and first dates all pop up
in these important years. But teenagers who feel anxious or experience symptoms of anxiety
frequently may have an anxiety disorder.

Symptoms of anxiety in teenagers may include nervousness, shyness, isolationist behaviors, and
avoidance. Likewise, anxiety in teens may lead to unusual behaviors (NIMH, 2018). They may
act out, perform poorly in school, skip social events, and even engage in substance or alcohol use.

For some teens, depression may accompany anxiety. Diagnosing both conditions is important so
that treatment can address the underlying issues and help relieve symptoms.
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Anxiety is a key part of several different disorders. These include:

• panic disorder: experiencing recurring panic attacks at unexpected times. A person

with panic disorder may live in fear of the next panic attack.
• phobia: excessive fear of a specific object, situation, or activity
• social anxiety disorder: extreme fear of being judged by others in social situations
• obsessive-compulsive disorder: recurring irrational thoughts that lead you to perform
specific, repeated behaviors (Holland, 2018)
• separation anxiety disorder: fear of being away from home or loved ones
• illness anxiety disorder: anxiety about your health (formerly called hypochondria)
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): anxiety following a traumatic event

Symptoms of general anxiety include:

• increased heart rate

• rapid breathing
• restlessness
• trouble concentrating
• difficulty falling asleep

An anxiety attack is a feeling of overwhelming apprehension, worry, distress, or fear. For many
people, an anxiety attack builds slowly. It may worsen as a stressful event approaches.

Common symptoms of an anxiety attack include:

• feeling faint or dizzy

• shortness of breath
• dry mouth
• sweating
• chills or hot flashes
• apprehension and worry
• restlessness
• distress
• fear
• numbness or tingling.

3. INDIGESTION

Can indigestion be psychological?

A disease or an ulcer in the digestive tract might cause indigestion. However, for most people, it
is the result of eating too much, eating too fast, eating high-fat foods, or eating during stressful
situations (NIDDK, 2016). Indigestion is not caused by excess stomach acid. Swallowing a great
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deal of air when eating may increase the symptoms of belching and bloating, which are often
associated with indigestion. Some medications can also irritate the stomach lining and cause
indigestion.

Being tired or stressed, smoking, or drinking too much alcohol or caffeinated beverages can
cause indigestion or make it worse. These factors can also worsen underlying conditions that
cause indigestion, such as hiatal hernias and gastro esophageal reflux disorder (GERD).
Emotional stress or other psychological conditions may result in abdominal pain (Santos-
Longhurst, 2018).

Sometimes people have persistent indigestion that is not related to any of these factors. This type
of indigestion is called functional, or non-ulcer, and is caused by a problem with how food moves
through the digestive tract.

Studies have found that anxiety seems to increase symptoms associated with GERD, such as
heartburn and upper abdominal pain. It’s believed that anxiety may make you more sensitive to
pain and other symptoms of GERD.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic condition in which stomach acid flows
back up into your esophagus.

Anxiety and other psychological distress may also impact esophageal motility and the
functioning of your lower esophageal sphincter. Esophageal motility refers to the contractions
that occur in your esophagus to move food toward your stomach.

Your lower esophageal sphincter is a ring of muscle around your lower esophagus that relaxes to
allow food and liquid into your stomach and closes to prevent the contents of your stomach from
flowing back up.

GERD and anxiety can cause a number of different symptoms, though there are a few that both
conditions seem to have in common.

Disrupted sleep is also a common symptom of both conditions. Acid reflux may be worse when
lying down, which can cause you to wake up often. Anxiety affects your sleep pattern and can
make it hard for you to fall asleep or stay asleep.

4. HEADACHES

Studies show that many different types of stress or intense emotions are linked to migraine.
Anxiety, excitement, tension, and shock are some prime examples.

Some stressful situations that may trigger your migraine are:

• Tension at work
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 • Marriage or relationship problems
• Unemployment, financial problems, or low income
• Childhood trauma, including your parents' divorce, physical abuse, or hospital stays
• Anxiety, tension, and nervousness
• Changes in your life, such as having a baby, switching jobs, or moving to a new home
• Juggling responsibilities or struggling to balance work and life
• Lack of sleep
• Stress about your surroundings, such as loud noises or harsh lights
• New routines or travel

Changing serotonin levels in the brain may also play a role in migraine headaches. Serotonin is a
chemical in the brain that has many important roles in your body (Sauro & Becker, 2009).

Having too much or too little serotonin in your brain can affect physical and mental health.
Sudden decreases in brain serotonin levels may cause headaches through the release of
neuropeptides or constricted blood vessels.

Now researchers at the St. Louis University School of Medicine have shown that people who
tend to bottle up their anger may be more likely to suffer from chronic headaches.

Dr. Merle Diamond, associate director of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, said the
findings are welcome news as they document something researchers have been observing for
years.

"Just like some people get ulcers and some grind their teeth, some people get headaches,"
Diamond said. "Anger has to come out somehow."

Anxiety headaches aren’t always serious, but regular or severe headaches can make your daily
life difficult. Treating anxiety headaches involves understanding why you experience them. They
may often relate to periods of high anxiety or stress. As with migraine attacks, identifying what
triggers your tension headaches can help you avoid specific situations or work to control your
stress response if you can’t avoid them (Raypole, 2019). In general, getting help for anxiety may
be the key to improvement. A therapist can help you learn to cope with anxiety’s effects and
reduce the impact of worry and other negative thoughts.

5. ANGER

Anger is one of the basic human emotions, as elemental as happiness, sadness, anxiety, or disgust
(Novaco, 2000) These emotions are tied to basic survival and were honed over the course of
human history. Anger is related to the “fight, flight, or freeze” response of the sympathetic
nervous system; it prepares humans to fight. But fighting doesn't necessarily mean throwing

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punches; it might motivate communities to combat injustice by changing laws or enforcing new
behavioral norms.

Of course, anger too easily or frequently mobilized can undermine relationships and it can be
deleterious to bodies in the long term. Prolonged release of the stress hormones that accompany
anger can destroy neurons in areas of the brain associated with judgment and short-term memory,
and weaken the immune system (Taylor, 2015).

Like all emotions, anger should be monitored via self-awareness, lest it cause self-harm or erupt
into hostile, aggressive, or even violent behavior toward others.

It becomes problematic, however, when the frequency or severity of anger interferes with
relationships, work performance, legal standing, or mental health. While there is no official
“anger disorder,” dysfunctional anger can be a symptom of manic episodes, Borderline
Personality Disorder, and Intermittent Explosive Disorder. Anger doesn't require a formal
diagnosis to be disruptive, or to benefit from help with its management.

Need and Significance of the Study

More than 450 million people worldwide suffer from mental disorders. Mental health is linked to
a person’s behaviour and is fundamental to their physical health and quality of life. According to
WHO, by the year 2020, depression will constitute the second largest disease burden in the whole
world (Murray & Lopez, 1996). The global burden of mental health will soon be beyond the
treatment capacities of developed and developing countries. The social and economic costs
associated with the growing burden of mental ill health has shifted the focus to possibilities for
promoting mental health as well as preventing and treating mental illnesses. Thus, there is a need
to find innovative and cost-effective solutions to improve the mental health of society. Pets are a
simple way to do that. Through our study, we aim to show how having a pet can positively
impact a person’s mental health and thereby, eradicate many mental illnesses in the long term.

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 CHAPTER – II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This study examined how pet and non-pet owners differ across a variety of socio-demographic
and health measures, which has implications for the proper interpretation of a large number of
correlational studies that attempt to draw causal attributions. There is conflicting evidence about
whether living with pets results in better mental and physical health outcomes, with the majority
of the empirical research evidence being inconclusive due to methodological
limitations. Researchers have also hypothesized the mechanisms through which pets affect
psychological wellbeing. The results showed that individuals who had a pet had lower heart rate
and blood pressure at rest than those without pets. Both studies provided strong evidence for
stress buffering effects, but their methods limit the researchers’ abilities in concluding that these
effects lead to any long term psychological of physical health benefits in a sample drawn from
the general population. There is clear evidence of short-term differences in psychological
adjustment that may be attributed to animal interactions; however, how these changes translate
into public health outcomes for pet owners or within the general population has yet to be
determined. Additionally, each study looked at a small range of dependent measures, thus
limiting their ability to detect costs or benefits beyond the scope of the study and thus not
providing any measure of “net effects.”

The best evidence of the positive effect of animals on physical, mental, and emotional health has
focused on a therapeutic environment, termed animal assisted therapy, because the studies use
experimental designs that do not suffer from the problems inherent in observational studies. The
health benefits of human-animal interaction have also been studied in clinical patients and the
findings are contradictory. (Saunders et al., 2017)

Researchers frequently claim there are health and social benefits from interacting with pets,
particularly dogs. The suggested health benefits include intrinsic benefits of lowering blood
pressure reducing medication input, fewer visits to the doctor and lowering the risk of heart
disease or dying within a year of having a heart attack. Owning a pet has also been found to
improve self-esteem, reduce stress and provide support for women suffering from loneliness.
However, there are also contradictory results with pet owners aged 60–64 reporting poorer
physical and mental health and a higher use of pain relief medication. Their hypothesis is that,
although pet ownership and health may be correlated positively or negatively, dog ownership in
particular is associated with better sleep, exercise and health.

They found 2/7 people owned a pet and of those 64% were “very” attached to their pet. Mild
exercise in metabolic equivalents (MET-hours) was significantly higher in pet owners than non-
xvi
owners, and in dog owners than other pets. Moderate exercise was also significantly higher in pet
owners than non-pet owners, and dog owners than owners of other pets but there were no
significant differences with vigorous exercise. They found that pet owners were significantly
more positive about their neighbourhood than non-owners on 8/9 questions, while dog owners
were (significantly) even more positive than owners of other pets on 8/9 questions. Associations
with sleep were mixed, although dog owners had less trouble falling asleep than non-dog owners,
with borderline statistical significance.

They found that pet owners found it easier to fall asleep, even after adjusting for confounders,
with borderline evidence for a particular benefit from owning a dog. Pet owners consistently felt
better about their local environment than non-owners, and dog owners were more positive about
their environment than owners of other pets, but this did not appear to be the mechanism
affecting sleep. (Mein & Grant, 2018)

One study’s findings indicated that pet ownership was not significantly related to depression, and
placement of a fish aquarium in the senior centre was not significantly related to depression in the
study sample. Study limitations, particularly the use of a sub-population of active senior citizens
and the small sample size, may have contributed to the inability of this study to replicate findings
from other studies. However, study findings do suggest community-dwelling senior citizens do
receive some benefits from human-animal interactions. Pets were a significant source of social
support in individuals identified as depressed and individuals with low levels of social support.
Pet ownership also contributed significantly to favourable attitudes and attachment to companion
animals. Watching the fish was reported to have relaxing and calming effects, and individuals
who looked at the fish more frequently were significantly more likely to report that they felt
better after looking at the fish aquarium compared to those who looked at the fish infrequently.
While the relationship between pet ownership, human-animal interactions, and psychological
well-being remains unclear, it appears that older adults can benefit from animal-assisted activities
and animal therapy programs. (Southerland, 2007)

This study is the first of its kind to objectively evaluate the effects of dogs in bedrooms on human
sleep. On the basis of these results, a single dog in the bedroom does not affect human sleep to a
marked degree because, on average, humans with dogs in their bedrooms were able to maintain
satisfactory sleep efficiency (>80%). Actigraphy is a widely accepted means for measuring sleep
in the home environment, and the sleep efficiency in this study was consistent with available
normative data for comparable populations. Actigraphy, for example, measured a mean sleep
efficiency of 81% in a community-dwelling sample of 669 healthy adults (mean age, 43 years).
Normative data using accelerometery has not been published concerning the activity of pet dogs
in the home environment.

xvii
These data suggest that a single adult dog in the bedroom may not markedly disrupt sleep for
middle-aged, healthy women. However, a pet owner’s sleep may be more compromised if the
dog shares the bed. To provide additional information about sleep efficiency when pets share a
bedroom, future studies should include a control group, a larger sample size, other types of pets
(e.g., cats), and multiple pets per human participant. In addition, future studies should review
wakefulness at night, comparing human and dog movements, to determine whether sleep was
first disrupted by the human or the dog. From this study, it seems that humans with a single dog
in their bedroom maintain satisfactory sleep efficiency. (Patel et al., 2017)

The aim of this study was to explore the potential psychological benefits of pet ownership among
working women (a group often claimed to be exposed to considerable stress from providing care
to husbands and children as well as having careers). On the basis of the findings of most other
studies, it was hypothesized that these pet owners would have less emotional distress, specifically
depression, anxiety, and anger than non-owners. As noted earlier, research by Garrity et al.
(1989) indicates that degree of attachment to a pet, in contrast to simply owning a pet, may play
an important role in emotional well-being. On the basis of this finding, a second hypothesis was
tested: The greater the degree of attachment to the pet(s), the smaller the degree of depression,
anxiety, and anger.

Results from this study did not support the hypotheses that among working women (1) pet
owners would have lower levels of emotional distress than nonowners and (2) the greater the
degree of attachment to the pet(s), the smaller the degree of emotional distress. The vast majority
of research that has examined the salutary influences of pet ownership and strong attachment to a
pet have used populations that tend to be socially isolated (e.g., nursing home patients, physically
ill patients). It is possible that among the working women used in this study there were satisfying
human relationships, making the positive effects of pets more subtle. Further, because working
women often have many responsibilities, they may have insufficient time to spend with their pets
that would result in therapeutic effects. Results from a post hoc analysis revealed that pet owners
from the present study were significantly more attached to their pets than those used in the
normative sample. The normative sample consisted of a diverse group of women; in the present
study a very specific group of women served as participants: those working for a non-profit
professional organization. Because of the nature of the organization, these women tend to be
oriented to helping others and view this responsibility very seriously. These attitudes may lead
them to take their relationship with their pet more seriously, leading to greater attachment.
(Watson & Weinstein, 1993)

Participants who owned pets and those who did not own pets did not appear to be very different
in terms of wellbeing or personality. Pet owners were higher in satisfaction with life than non-
owners, but the two groups did not differ in happiness, positive emotions, or negative emotions.
xviii
It is important to consider how long people had owned their pets. On average, participants
reported owning their primary pets for 5.5 years (SD = 3.88 years, Range = 3 months–17 years).
Thus, most people had owned their pet for a considerable amount of time, and may have adapted
to the experience of owning the pet. Perhaps pet owners are happiest when they first adopt a pet,
but then they gradually return to their baseline levels of wellbeing, a phenomenon known as
hedonic adaptation (Frederick and Loewenstein 1999). Their pets may not be affecting their
emotions and happiness in the same way a brand-new pet might. Life satisfaction is considered
the cognitive component of wellbeing (Diener 1984). It may be that this cognitive aspect of
wellbeing is more resistant to adaptation, because the pet owners are still considering their
relationship with their pet when assessing their overall life satisfaction, but when it comes to their
actual, day-to-day experience of emotions, the pet has little effect.

Cat and dog owners’ comparison found that dog owners had higher wellbeing. This relationship
was mediated by some personality traits, such as extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism,
but not others, such as anthropomorphism. However, personality alone does not explain why dog
owners have higher wellbeing than cat owners. Dog owners were also less likely to use
suppression, and had fulfilled their basic needs of competence and relatedness to a greater degree
than cat owners. Suppression, competence, and relatedness were all significant mediators, helping
to explain why dog owners were higher in wellbeing. Thus, it is not just personality that is
explaining the differences in wellbeing between cat and dog owners. (Watson & Weinstein,
1993)

According to Mike McFarland, executive director of Zoetis Petcare Marketing, the goal of the
new advertising barrage is to convince the public that there is “a growing body of scientific
research that shows how important the human-animal bond is for human health.” The pet
products industry, however, does not want you to know about the growing body of scientific
research which has found that pet owners are not healthier or happier than people who don’t live
with animals.

The truth is that three decades of research on the pet effect have produced a muddle of mixed
results. (See here for a short review of these studies.) Some investigators have reported that pet
owners are better off. Others, however, have found that pet owners have more psychological and
health problems than nonowners. These include being more likely to suffer from migraines,
insomnia, panic attacks, ulcers, high blood pressure, loneliness, and depression. And still other
studies have reported that living with pets had no effect at all on human health and wellbeing. As
you might expect, industry press releases extolling the benefits of pet ownership never mention
this growing body of scientific research. (Herzog, 2018)

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Research shows that there are many positive benefits of having pets, the present study attempts to
validate and explore whether pets will be able to reduce stress. This being the foundation, the
present study is thus conducted. The present study is aimed at finding the difference of stress
levels between pet owners and non-pet owners. Smith Stress Symptoms Inventory was
administered to a sample of 160 individuals, 80 pet owners and 80 non-pet owners consisting of
40 males and 40 females in each group. The age range selected was from 20 years up to 60 years
with the socio-economic status of over 5 lakhs per annum and above. The sample obtained was
from working class. The obtained data was subjected to two-way ANOVA. The results indicated
that pet owners had lower levels of stress as compared to non-pet owners as well as the study also
showed that gender did not contribute to stress. The non-pet owners showed a high score on
dimensions of worry/negative emotions, anxiety, depression, striated muscle tension,
interpersonal conflict and attention deficit, indicating higher levels of stress. The study was
divided into qualitative and quantitative data. For qualitative data 15 pet owners were interviewed
based on a structured interview questionnaire. (Sane & Sawarkar, 2017)

This research on pet-owner wellness that hopefully serves to illuminate several potential ways in
which clients may be impacted by their relationship with their pet. It is my desire that this
information will enhance counsellor awareness regarding the significance of pet ownership
leading to important areas to explore with a pet-owning client. The eight domains of pet-owner
wellness that emerged from my research can serve as a guide for counsellors to explore the
owner-pet relationship with their clients. Counselling conceptualization frequently involves
examination of types of stressors and supports in clients’ lives (Loganbill & Stoltenberg, 1983).
And, it is clear from my research that pets can produce both of these. Thus, pet ownership should
be considered an important factor that can affect client wellness. Additionally, the counselling
process often involves exploration of meaningful relationships for clients, but traditional models
for counsellor training have typically limited this exploration to human relationships. It is an
error of omission in clinical preparation to exclude training for counsellors on how to explore and
process the meaningful relationship between a client and the client’s current and/or former pet.
Valuing the owner-pet relationship in the counselling process can potentially have several
benefits. It may greatly increase the amount and type of information that can be gained about the
client. It provides opportunity to explore and compare how the client relates to other social
beings, both humans and pets. And lastly, it may strengthen the therapeutic alliance by reflecting
the counsellor’s ability to convey understanding and empathy regarding all the client’s significant
and meaningful relationships. (Chandler, 2019)

The study indicates that differences in wellbeing may not be consistently discernible between pet
owners and non-pet owners because wellbeing is related not to pet ownership alone but to
qualities of individual human–pet relationships. These findings contribute to the extension of
Bowlby’s (1969) attachment theory from human attachment figures to nonhuman attachment
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figures and the ways in which the quality of relationships with these figures predict levels of
psychological distress and psychopathology. This study also provides preliminary evidence that
conditions of empathy, unconditionality of regard, and congruence in pets may influence QOL of
pet owners. These findings reflect the complexity in human–animal relationships and indicate
that secure pet attachment and Rogers’ core conditions in pets are associated with human
wellbeing. While the current study does not indicate that the solution to improve human health
lies in simply owning a pet, it provides further evidence that animals may serve a valuable and
currently underutilized role in promoting wellbeing (Wells, 2009b). Continued work in this area
will advance our understanding of the link between animals and human health, and may facilitate
the shaping of future health care and lifestyle practices. (Teo & Thomas, 2019)

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 CHAPTER – III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Question
Is there any difference in the mental health of pet owners as compared to non-pet owners?

Objective of the study

The objective of our study is to analyse the mental health between people who own pets and
people who don’t to see if there is a positive correlation between owning pets and having better
mental health.

Hypothesis
Our hypothesis is that people who own pets will have better mental health than people who do
not.
(Ho). 1. There is no significant difference between the groups pet owners and non-pet owners
with regard to mental health.

(Ho) 2. Pet owners’ mental health is better than non-pet owners.

Sample & Sampling

The sampling method used was non-probability convenience sampling. We passed the
questionnaire to random people based on ease of access. Our sample size was 200, out of which
100 people had pets whereas the other 100 people did not have pets.

Instruments
General Mental Health Questionnaire – This questionnaire is designed to assess the mental health
of a person. It is developed for the general adult population, including adolescents. The
questionnaire consists of a four-point Likert Scale of frequency consisting of 11 items. The
response options provided to the subject are 1 (rarely), 2 (at times), 3 (often) and 4 (always). The
maximum score possible in this test is 44, and minimum score possible in this test is 11. Low
score indicates high mental health.
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 CHAPTER – IV

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

The results obtained from the survey are as follows:

1. As seen from the chart, most of the people (75%) who took part were 20 to 30 years old.

2. Out of the total 200 people who participated, 100 people had pets while 100 did not.

xxiii
3. As seen from the bar chart below, non-pet owners are more frequently anxious and tensed
when compared to pet owners where almost 50% of them are rarely anxious or tensed.

4. More than 60% of pet owners are rarely restless whereas non-pet owners experience a higher
frequency of feeling restless.

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5. More than 55% of people who own pets rarely ever feel nervous while 45% of the people who
do not own pets feel nervous at times with 10% of them feeling nervous always.

6. Higher levels of loneliness is seen among non-pet owners as compared to their counterparts
where almost 60% of them rarely feel lonely.

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7. 61% of pet owners rarely feel hopeless as compared to 51% of non-pet owners. 9% of non-pet
owners feel hopeless always.

8. 48% of non-pet owners feel angry at times and 12% of them feel angry always whereas 48% of
pet owners say that they rarely feel angry with only 3% feeling angry always.

xxvi
9. The percentage of pet owners and non-pet owners who face severe headaches is similar with
only a slight increase in frequency of headaches for non-pet owners.

10. 55% of pet owners feel tired at times compared to 35% of non-pet owners whereas 34% of
non-pet owners feel tired often as compared to only 17% of pet owners.

xxvii
11. More than 50% of pet owners rarely experience disturbed sleep whereas 11% of non-pet
owners always have disturbed sleep. 29% of both populations have disturbed sleep at times.

12. 72% of pet owners and 56% of non-pet owners rarely have indigestion issues while 4% of pet
owners and 12% of non-pet owners face indigestion problems often.

xxviii
13. 83% of pet owners rarely have acidity as compared to only 54% of non-pet owners with 30%
of them having acidity at times, 14% often and 2% always.

14. The results obtained after calculating the independent sample T test are as follows:

Table 1: Group Statistics

Std. Error
Mean N Std. Deviation
Mean

Pet Owners 17.290 100 4.7595 .4759

Total
Score
Non-Pet Owners 22.380 100 6.4067 .6407

In the table Group Statistics, the mean for Pet Owners is 17.29 with a standard deviation of
4.7595 and the mean for Non-Pet Owners is 22.38 with a standard deviation of 6.4067. The total
number of participants in each category is 100.

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 Table 2: T – Test for Equality of Means

95% Confidence
Sig. (two Mean Std. Error Interval of the
Total Score t df
tailed) Difference Difference Difference
Lower Upper
Equal Variances
- 6.378 198 .000 - 5.0900 0.7981 - 6.6639 - 3.5161
Assumed
Equal Variances Not
- 6.378 182.761 .000 - 5.0900 0.7981 - 6.6647 - 3.5153
Assumed

The critical value for two tailed test α=0.05, df=198 is ±1.972. The independent T Test for the
samples results in t(198)=-6.378 with p=0.000, which is a significant test hence, we can reject the
null hypothesis. The groups differ significantly, t(198)=6.378, p=0.000, d=0.902, 95% CI (-6.66,
1.972). The mean for the pet owner group (M=17.29, SD=1.41) is significantly statistically
different than the non-pet owner group (M=22.38, SD=6.41). These findings support the idea that
mental health of pet owners is better than non-pet owners.

Pets help people avoid stress responses by altering a situation that would otherwise be stressful or
by mitigating the stress response thereby decreasing the impact of the stressor just like any other
stress reduction mechanism (Hart, 1995). The decreased loneliness in pet owners can be
accredited to the companionship provided by the pets. Having pets is known to improve
psychological and physiological status. Pets help people to reconnect to the world and regain
contact after an emotional dysfunction or tragedy, thereby alleviating their hopelessness. Caring
for a pet will not only make one see life differently, but leads them to a varied life style,
providing time orientation and also promoting health with all these responsibilities that keeps
them engaged, young and running (Bao & Schreer, 2016). Pets are also known to decrease their
owner’s depression and anxiety, these effects manifest as a decreased incidence or slowed
progression of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. Having pets will
not only lead to increased socialization but also an improved attention to surroundings and the
changes around them. Apart from the mental well-being, pet owners are known to be physically
active as the little push from their pets help them get enough physical activity throughout the
year, resulting in decreased problems related to acidity and indigestion, helping the owners to
lead a healthier lifestyle (Friedmann & Thomas,1985).
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 CHAPTER -V

CONCLUSION

At the end of our study, we are clearly able to see the effect of having a pet on the mental health
of human beings. Pets are an invaluable part of many households and are often treated as an
equal member of the family. They help to reduce anxiety, tension, nervousness, restlessness,
hopelessness and anger by providing comfort to their owners. Often pets such as therapy dogs
are used to help patients overcome mental health problems. Pets are the best and most selfless
companions and as seen from our study, they help to reduce loneliness and are a source of
unconditional love for their owners. Pets also help to relieve their owners from illnesses like
headaches, disturbed sleep, indigestion and acidity. Tiredness is a side effect of living in this
busy world, but for most pet owners, the moment they go back home and see their pet, all their
tiredness goes away, their pets are a source of joy and energy for them. Thus, having a pet has a
positive influence on the mental health of a person and helps them lead happier lives when
compared to those who do not have pets.

xxxi
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2. Appendix

xxxv