Unmet Pet Caregiving Needs are Associated with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among People Living with HIV

People living with HIV (PLWH) experience disproportionately high rates of depression and anxiety. Human-animal interactions (HAI), particularly through pet ownership, may provide emotional support and companionship; however, the human-animal bond can be threatened by structural and socioeconomic factors that impede one's ability to meet pets' needs. The current study examined how comfort from pets and unmet pet caregiving needs were associated with depression and anxiety symptoms among pet-owning PLWH. Data were derived from the Florida Cohort (2021-2023), a survey study of PLWH in Florida. Participants included 210 pet-owning PLWH who completed the optional pet ownership module. Depression and anxiety were measured using the PHQ-8 and GAD-7; comfort from pets was assessed using the Comfort from Companion Animals Scale; unmet caregiving needs captured difficulty affording boarding, pet food/medication/supplies, and veterinary care. Linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographic covariates and perceived social support. Participants reported high levels of comfort from pets; however, comfort was not significantly associated with depression or anxiety symptoms, even after adjustment. Unmet pet caregiving needs showed a more consistent pattern: difficulty affording veterinary care was the most robust predictor, remaining significantly associated with both depression (B = 2.04, p < 0.01) and anxiety (B = 2.49, p < 0.001) after adjusting for covariates. Difficulty affording boarding and difficulty affording pet food/medications/supplies were associated with higher depression and anxiety symptoms in unadjusted models but did not remain significant after covariate adjustment. Findings highlight the dual role of pets in the lives of PLWH; while pets may provide emotional comfort, unmet pet caregiving needs-particularly around veterinary care-are associated with poorer mental health independent of broader social support and sociodemographic factors. Addressing pet caregiving needs may represent an important opportunity to reduce psychological strain and support emotional wellness among pet-owning PLWH, with implications for HIV care, social services, and future research.