A new study found that higher levels of attachment to pets, especially dogs, may be associated with lower symptoms of depression and anxiety among middle-aged and older women. The association was particularly strong among women with a history of childhood abuse.

In the study, published in JAMA Network Open, researchers analyzed the data of 214 women with a mean age of 60.8 years who were part of the Mind Body Study, a substudy of the Nurses' Health Study II. The sample notably included a higher proportion of women with a history of childhood physical or sexual abuse, representing 72.6% of the participants.

Pet attachment was measured using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed using multiple validated scales: the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale, and Crown Crisp Experiential Index phobic anxiety subscale.

Key findings:

• Higher overall pet attachment was significantly associated with lower GAD-7 scores (β = −0.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.29 to −0.06, P = .004).
• Higher dog attachment was associated with significantly lower scores in: depression (CES-D-10: β = −0.47, 95% CI = −0.68 to −0.26, P < .001), psychological distress (K6: β = −0.42, 95% CI = −0.54 to −0.31, P < .001), generalized anxiety (GAD-7: β = −0.47, 95% CI = −0.65 to −0.30, P < .001), and overall measure of anxiety and depression (z score: β = −0.12, 95% CI = −0.17 to −0.08, P < .001).
• No significant associations were found between cat attachment and depression or anxiety scores.
• Effect sizes for associations were higher when analyses were restricted to women with a history of childhood abuse.

The cross-sectional study design included 140 pet owners who provided LAPS assessments and 74 non–pet owners. Among the pet owners, 78 of them had dog attachments and 46 of them had cat attachments.

Multivariable generalized linear models were used, adjusting for age, body mass index, marital status, stressful life events, childhood abuse history, alcohol consumption, physical activity, social network index, and mindfulness.

The study's strengths included a well-characterized sample enriched for psychosocial and stress variables. Limitations included the cross-sectional design, which precluded causal inference, and the specific demographic characteristics of the sample, which may limit generalizability.

The researchers suggested that the findings may inform future research on pet attachment as a potential protective factor against depression and anxiety, particularly for vulnerable populations such as those with a history of childhood trauma.

While the observed effects were statistically significant, the researchers noted that the effect sizes were below established thresholds for minimal clinically important differences. However, they emphasized that even small reductions in psychological distress could contribute to better overall mental health.

The study contributed to the existing research on human-animal relationships and mental health. The researchers underscored that further longitudinal studies are needed to investigate potential causal relationships between pet attachment and mental health outcomes across diverse populations. 

Conflict of interest disclosures are available in the study.