Background: 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. Psychological benefits include increased resilience at times of adversity, increased participation in meaningful activities, increased social functioning, increased happiness and hedonic tone, and increased positive self-view and self-agency.
Material and Methods: The present study examines depression, anxiety, stress, and anger among pet owners. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted and data from adults (N=185) was collected using two widely used tools, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), and Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992).
Results: The ANOVA test showed that there was no significant difference in depression (F = 2.43, p > 0.05), anxiety (F = 2.08, p > 0.05), stress (F = 1.50, p > 0.05), and anger (F = 0.21, p > 0.05) of the participants based on pet ownership. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed that there was no significant difference in depression, anxiety, stress and anger of the participants based on the number of members in the family and the number of senior citizens in the family.
Conclusion: Majority of the participants who had senior citizen(s) in their families were having a pet or were planning to get one in the near future. The study also revealed that majority of the participants who had a pet or planning to get one were living in nuclear families.
