‘Pets provide meaning and purpose’: a qualitative study of pet ownership from the perspectives of people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder

Hayden‐Evans, Maya; Milbourn, Ben; Netto, Julie

doi:10.1080/18387357.2018.1485508

Cited by 23 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Most notably, pets caused emotional strain, and increased negative feelings about themselves and their ability as a pet owner. This is consistent with previous research where people with diagnosed borderline personality disorder reported negative feelings from pet ownership including guilt, worry, and fear (Hayden-Evans et al, 2018):…”

Section: Theme 7: Increased Negative Feelings and Emotional Strainsupporting

confidence: 92%

“I Can’t Give Up When I Have Them to Care for”: People’s Experiences of Pets and Their Mental Health

Hawkins

Tip

2021

Anthrozoös

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Contact with animals has been increasingly recognized as being beneficial to mental health and wellbeing due to their therapeutic function, with "animal-assisted therapies" gaining in popularity.There is less research exploring how companion animals within the home impact upon mental health and wellbeing. This qualitative study explores people's experiences of the role of their pets in reducing or exacerbating their mental health symptomology and general wellbeing. One hundred and nineteen adults, 41 with a diagnosed mental health condition, and 70 recently struggling with their mental health, completed an online survey with open and closed questions to explore their experiences of their pets and mental health. Through thematic analysis, seven key themes were identified. Six themes encompassed benefits of pets; increased hedonic tone; increased motivation and behavioral activation; reduced anxiety symptoms and panic attacks; increased social connections and reduced loneliness; reduced risk behaviors; and coping and aiding the recovery process. One theme encompassed negative impacts: increased negative feelings and emotional strain. Notably, pets reduced urges of self-harm, and prevented onsets of panic attacks and suicide attempts. Both direct mechanisms (e.g., lowering physiological anxiety through physical touch) and indirect mechanisms (e.g., elevating mood through humor, increased mindfulness and disrupting rumination) were identified. These findings encapsulate the complex roles that pets can play in people's mental health and wellbeing, and highlights that even when the human-pet relationship is regarded positively, pets cannot "treat" mental health difficulties, and should not be viewed as such. Mental health practitioners should be aware and considerate of the importance of pets in people's lives as well as individual differences in the potential capability of pets to both reduce or exacerbate mental health symptomology and overall wellbeing. KEYWORDSAnxiety; depression; humananimal interaction; mental health; pets Mental health problems are common in the general population with an estimated one in six people in any past week experiencing a common mental health difficulty (McManus et al., 2016). Poor mental health is the main cause of the overall disease burden

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Section: Theme 7: Increased Negative Feelings and Emotional Strainsupporting

confidence: 92%

“I Can’t Give Up When I Have Them to Care for”: People’s Experiences of Pets and Their Mental Health

Hawkins

Tip

2021

Anthrozoös

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“…This finding is consistent with recent human-animal research that has illuminated the comfort and companionship that pets can provide during the COVID-19 pandemic (Bussolari et al, 2021;Holland et al, 2021). These positive effects are perhaps due to pets' nonjudgmental acceptance and affection (Garrity et al, 1989;Zasloff and Kidd, 1994;Labrecque and Walsh, 2011), and their ability to reduce mental distress and improve their owners' quality of life (Aydin et al, 2012;Peacock et al, 2012;Hayden-Evans et al, 2018). Similarly, facilitators reported feeling more connected to the participants when dogs were included.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Exploring the Potential Impact of a Virtual Body Scan Meditation Exercise Conducted With Pet Dogs on Recipients and Facilitators

Kogan

Bussolari

2021

Front. Psychol.

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Numerous recent studies have shown that COVID-19 and the accompanying mandated lifestyle changes have resulted in significant negative effects on people’s mental health. To meet the increased need for mental health support, while also maintaining physical safety, a variety of telehealth services have been created or expanded. A body scan mindfulness program is an intervention that can easily be modified to be offered virtually. This study was designed to determine if a virtual body scan mindfulness exercise, with participants’ holding their dog or a pillow/blanket, could reduce their stress and anxiety as well as that of the facilitators. Significant differences in pre/post-State Anxiety Assessment scores for participants and facilitators were found. These results are discussed within the framework of the human animal bond and the potential of this form of intervention as a useful virtual tool for participants and facilitators alike.

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“…Similarly, the inclusion of animals in images may reflect an ongoing yearning for meaning and attachment. 12 The optimistic theme of 'sharing hope and positive experiences of growth' seems to reflect genuinely positive sentiments. However, an alternative reading of this data is of shallow or overgeneralised platitudes, which may be more in keeping with identified difficulties in self-image and self-description.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Illness identity on social media: a qualitative content analysis of #bpd

Chan

2021

Australas Psychiatry

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Objective: To explore the themes related to self and illness representations in a public online community. Method: This project utilised an inductive process of data analysis with a phenomenological approach. Two hundred images from the social media image-sharing platform Instagram were described, coded and organised into themes. Results: Five themes were identified: the fragmented and obscured self; trepidation and disappointment about the threatening and persecutory world; an existence built of illness and symptoms; finding comfort in the natural and built environment; and sharing hope and positive experiences of growth. Conclusions: #bpd encompassed a variety of content types, with a wide spectrum of emotional tones expressed through photographs, written communication and artwork.

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‘Pets provide meaning and purpose’: a qualitative study of pet ownership from the perspectives of people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder

Cited by 23 publications

References 37 publications

“I Can’t Give Up When I Have Them to Care for”: People’s Experiences of Pets and Their Mental Health

“I Can’t Give Up When I Have Them to Care for”: People’s Experiences of Pets and Their Mental Health

Exploring the Potential Impact of a Virtual Body Scan Meditation Exercise Conducted With Pet Dogs on Recipients and Facilitators

Illness identity on social media: a qualitative content analysis of #bpd

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