Assessment of pet attachment and its relationship with stress and social support among residents in Mangalore city of south India

Abstract Pets are known to play a supportive role in people’s lives. However their role in helping individuals to cope up with stress and in enhancement of their social connectedness need to be established. This case control study was done to compare the stress levels between pet and non-pet owners, to correlate the stress levels with the extent of pet attachment and to assess the relationship between pet attachment and social support among pet owners. Data were collected using an interview schedule among urban residents aged above 12 years. The stress levels, social support and the extent of pet attachment were assessed using standard questionnaires. A total of 122 pet owners from 108 houses and an equivalent number of non-pet owners from 82 houses took part in this study. The mean perceived stress score among pet owners (n=122) was 24.8±6.7 compared to 23.0±7.0 among non-pet owners (n=122) (t=2.064, p=0.04). The mean pet attachment score among married (n=77) and unmarried/divorced/widow (n=42) pet owners was 49.1±7.7 and 55±8.2 respectively (t=3.954, p