Who can resist a cute Persian cat or a poodle? Both of them are often kept as pets. Not only cats or dogs, you can keep other animals such as turtles, hamsters, birds, fish, and even snakes as pets. Besides being fun, it turns out that having a pet can also help maintain your mental health.

According to the results of a study conducted by the University of York and the University of Lincoln, owning a pet can improve its owner's mental health and reduce feelings of loneliness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries imposed lockdown, including Indonesia. The implementation of the PSBB (Large-Scale Social Restrictions) is still ongoing in many parts of Indonesia. As a result, all daily activities have to be done from home. Therefore, it is not uncommon for people to experience mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.

In their study, the researchers surveyed 5,926 participants who owned at least one pet. The survey was conducted from April to May, at which time the UK was imposing a lockdown policy. To find out more about the participants’ closeness to their pets, the researchers gave each participant a questionnaire. The questionnaire also included questions to measure their mental health.

As a result, more than 90% of participants said they were helped by having pets during the lockdown period. In fact, 96% of the participants said that their pets helped them stay in shape and be active even at home, keeping them away from the risk of health problems. The close emotional bond between the two can help reduce the owner’s stress level. The results of this study have been published in PLOS One.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay

Source(s):

• Ratschen, E., Shoesmith, E., Shahab, L., et al (2020). Human-animal relationships and interactions during the Covid-19 lockdown phase in the UK: Investigating links with mental health and loneliness. PLOS One, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239397.
• Science Daily - Pets linked to maintaining better mental health and reducing loneliness during lockdown, new research shows (2020). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200926145210.htm, 30 September 2020.