"Many pet owners would say that their pets are a great source of happiness for them and that they make them feel less lonely and generally better. Indeed, several psychological studies have shown the benefits of having a pet for both physical and mental health. However, pet owners can also face incredibly difficult situations that can have negative effects on their mental health."
"A new study, published in the scientific journal Applied Research Quality Life, now investigated the effect of owning a pet on health and well-being from a new angle ( Ananyev, and co-workers, 2026). In the study entitled "The Causal Effect of Pet Ownership on Health and Well-being", the research team led by scientist Maxim Ananyev from the University of Melbourne, in Australia, analyzed data from the so-called HILDA survey (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia)."
Longitudinal Australian HILDA panel data were analyzed using fixed-effects and instrumental-variable models to estimate causal effects of pet ownership on life satisfaction, loneliness, mental health, and general health. No causal effects were found for those outcomes. Cross-sectional correlations showed apparent benefits that vanished under causal models. Some subgroup analyses showed modest positive or negative effects depending on circumstances, such as caregiving burden, pet illness, behavioral problems, or financial strain from veterinary costs. Pet ownership thus can affect mental health both positively and negatively depending on context.
Read at Psychology Today
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