Társállatokkal kapcsolatos attitűdök és a mentális egészség összefüggése egy empirikus vizsgálat keretében

In our study, we examined the relationships between dealing with companion animals and mental health. The aim was to analyze associations of attitudes related to pets with life satisfaction, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. In our online, cross-sectional survey, 297 participants were included (89.5% females, aged between 18 and 85 years), the data were collected in the second half of the year 2023. The attitudes related to pets were measured by using the CENSHARE Pet Attachment Scale which involved eight factors using exploratory factor analysis. The attitudes of attachment and closeness showed a positive relationship with life satisfaction. Time spent with pets and dealing and communicating with them was negatively associated with life satisfaction and well-being, and positively with depression and anxiety. For those who are prone to depression and less satisfied with their life, dealing with pets may serve as a therapy, except for steming from hypocrisy.