A large longitudinal study in the UK found no evidence that pet ownership was associated with improved mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, pet owners showed slightly higher symptoms of depression, anxiety, and anhedonia compared to non-pet owners.

The study, published in Mental Health & Prevention, followed 6018 UK adults over 12 months starting in April 2020. Researchers found no protective "pet effect" on mental health during pandemic restrictions.

Key findings included:

• Pet ownership was associated with marginally higher depression, anxiety, and anhedonia symptoms at initial assessment
• No significant differences in loneliness between pet owners and non-pet owners overall
• Dog owners reported more frequent exercise but no difference in maintaining daily structure
• Among those living alone, pet owners reported less loneliness than non-pet owners
• No mental health benefits were found for individuals who adopted pets during the study period

The study utilized standardized measures including the PHQ-9 for depression, GAD-7 for anxiety, MASQ-AD for anhedonia, and UCLA Loneliness Scale. Multiple linear regression analyses controlled for demographic factors.

At baseline, 54% of participants reported owning pets, with cats (29%) and dogs (27%) being most common. Other pets included fish (4.8%), small animals (4.6%), birds (1.6%), and reptiles/amphibians (1.8%).

Demographic data showed that pet owners were more likely to be female, living with others, in a relationship, parents, and have larger homes. The largest age group was 56-65 years old (27% of participants). Over 50% of 16-18 year olds and 36-65 year olds owned pets, compared to less than 50% of 19-25 year olds and those 66+.

Detailed regression results showed:

• PHQ-9: F(1, 5999) = 51.49, p < 0.001, Cohen's f = 0.09
• GAD-7: F(1, 5999) = 36.59, p < 0.001, Cohen's f = 0.08
• MASQ-AD: F(1, 5860) = 14.70, p < 0.001, Cohen's f = 0.05
• Loneliness: F(1, 5999) = 0.16, p = 0.686, Cohen's f = 0.01

Longitudinal analysis showed significant reductions in mental health symptoms over time for all participants, but no significant interactions between time and pet ownership status. Effect sizes for reductions were medium for depression (Cohen's f=0.25) and anxiety (f=0.26), and smaller for anhedonia (f=0.1) and loneliness (f=0.05).

While dog owners were more likely to exercise daily (40% vs 35% of non-dog owners, χ²(4, 6018) = 29.24, p < 0.001), there was no significant difference in maintaining daily schedules (χ²(4, 6018) = 7.82, p = 0.09).

The study found no evidence for the "cat lady" stereotype, with no significant interaction between cat ownership and gender on mental health outcomes. However, females were more likely to own cats (30.3%) compared to males (22.7%), χ²(1, 6018) = 19.66, p < 0.001.

Among those living alone, pet ownership was associated with lower loneliness scores. Cat owners (n = 347, M = 4.51, SD = 2.89) and dog owners (n = 227, M = 4.68, SD = 3.05) reported less loneliness than non-pet owners (n = 786, M = 5.07, SD = 2.81).

The study found no significant effects of pet adoption during the pandemic on 12-month mental health outcomes (all Cohen's f values < 0.03). Initial mental health symptoms did not predict subsequent pet adoption.

Methods included online questionnaires at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 month follow-ups. Pet ownership was assessed by asking participants if they lived with any pets, with options for different animal types. Pet adoption during the study was measured as part of a questionnaire on pandemic coping behaviors.

The researchers noted limitations including brief measures of pet ownership and interaction. They suggested future studies use more detailed assessments of human-animal relationships.

The authors drew parallels between their findings and research on parenting, suggesting that pet ownership might involve additional daily stressors but could potentially provide meaning and purpose, though this wasn't directly measured in the study.

The researchers noted that their findings challenge the narrative around beneficial associations between pet ownership and mental health, which may have driven the "pandemic puppies" phenomenon. They suggested that managing expectations about the mental health benefits of pet ownership could be important for reducing negative welfare implications for both pets and humans.

The authors declared that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.