Grief over pet death can be as strong as that for family member, survey shows

"Grief over the death of a pet could be as chronic as that for a human family member, research has shown, confirming what many people already know about their bond with their furry friends. People grieving the loss of a pet can suffer from prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a mental health condition brought about by the death of a loved one, a survey published in the academic journal PLOS One has found."

"The research a survey of 975 adults in the UK found 7.5% of people who had lost pets met the diagnostic criteria for PGD, about the same as the proportion of people who have had a close friend die. It was only slightly behind the proportion who had PGD after the death of a grandparent (8.3%), a sibling (8.9%) or even a partner (9.1%). Only those who had lost parents or children had the disorder in significantly higher rates, at 11.2% and 21.3%."

A survey of 975 UK adults found 7.5% of people who had lost pets met diagnostic criteria for prolonged grief disorder (PGD). That rate was similar to grief after a close friend’s death and slightly lower than rates after grandparent, sibling, or partner loss. Higher PGD rates occurred following the death of a parent (11.2%) or child (21.3%). About one in 12 PGD cases in the UK were attributed to pet loss. Symptoms after pet loss matched those after human loss, including intense longing, social and functional impairment, and feeling part of oneself had died. Around one-fifth of people who experienced both rated pet loss worse, and many feel shame or isolation when expressing grief over a pet.

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