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. 2024 Feb;33(1):e12718.
doi: 10.1111/sode.12718. Epub 2023 Oct 18.

Longitudinal Associations Between Pet Relationship Quality and Socio-Emotional Functioning in Early Adolescence

Megan K Mueller  1 , Kristina S Callina  2 , Amanda M Richer  2   3 , Linda Charmaraman  3
Affiliations

Longitudinal Associations Between Pet Relationship Quality and Socio-Emotional Functioning in Early Adolescence

Megan K Mueller et al. Soc Dev. 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Adolescence is a key developmental period for socio-emotional skills, and companion animal relationships may be one potential source of emotional support and resilience during this time. This study used longitudinal data from 940 pet-owning adolescents, collected over four time points, from youth in the Northeastern United States. We assessed whether pet relationship quality (indexed by relationship satisfaction, companionship, and emotional disclosure) predicted trajectories of loneliness, social anxiety, and depression. Results indicated that high satisfaction with a pet relationship was associated with more favorable trajectories, but companionship (i.e., regarding frequency of interacting with the pet) was not related significantly to socio-emotional functioning. High levels of disclosure to a pet were linked with less favorable trajectories for loneliness and depression, but not related to social anxiety. These results suggest that a pet relationship can, in some cases, be associated positively with socio-emotional development, but that there is significant complexity in these associations. Families, educators, and practitioners should take a nuanced approach to understanding individual adolescent-pet relationships as a contextual asset for specific youth.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Class-specific mean predicted trajectories of loneliness
Figure 2
Figure 2
Class-specific mean predicted trajectories of social anxiety
Figure 3
Figure 3
Class-specific mean predicted trajectories of depression
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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