Open AccessPersonality factors, depression, anxiety, and stress in pet owners
Author(s) -
Valéria Gonzatti,
Camila Rosa de Oliveira,
Letícia Oliveira Alminhana,
Daiane Oliveira Hausen,
Daiana Meregalli Schütz,
Dalton Breno Costa,
Luciano Trevizan,
Irani Iracema de Lima Argimon,
Tatiana Quarti Irigaray
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
psico
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1980-8623
pISSN - 0103-5371
DOI - 10.15448/1980-8623.2021.4.35289
Subject(s) - conscientiousness , anxiety , personality , depression (economics) , psychology , clinical psychology , animal assisted therapy , big five personality traits , psychiatry , animal welfare , pet therapy , social psychology , extraversion and introversion , ecology , macroeconomics , biology , economics
The study compares personality factors, symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress between owners and non-pet owners. A total of 145 adults participated, between 18 and 78 years (M = 30.96, SD = 12.10). Participants were divided according to the type of pet they had: 1) dogs, 2) cats, 3) dogs and cats. The results suggest that people who do not have pets showed more anxiety symptoms than those who have pets. Dogs and cats owners showed higher scores of conscientiousness personality factor than participants who did not have any pets. The results reveal differences between animals owners and non-owners. There is a need for studies using mediating variables analyzes, as well as longitudinal research that can explore the feasible causal relationship between different characteristics of people who own pets and well-being.