Pet Ownership, Depression, Anxiety, Well-Being, and Cognitive Functioning in Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Study

Depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline are prevalent concerns among older adults and can negatively affect their well-being. Pet ownership has been proposed as a potential protective factor, but inconsistencies remain in the current literature.

The study aims to compare symptoms of depression, anxiety, and levels of psychological well-being between older pet owners and non-pet owners. Additionally, we compared the cognitive functioning and cognitive reserve between these 2 groups of older individuals.

This cross-sectional study included 215 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥59 years (mean 69.13, SD 6.89). Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status, Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire, Mental Health Continuum-Short Form, Geriatric Depression Scale-15, and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory. The data were collected via video calls through WhatsApp and analyzed using the JASP software. Group comparisons (pet owners vs nonowners) were conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test, followed by rank-biserial correlation for effect sizes (α=.05).

The sample consisted of 114 (53.0%) older adults pet owners and 101 (46.9%) older adults who did not own pets. Among the pet owners, 77.2% (n=88) were female, and 57.9% (n=66) were married or in common-law marriages. In the non-pet owners' group, 71.3% (n=72) were female, and 46.5% (n=47) were married or in common-law marriages. Pet owners showed lower depression symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale-15: mean 2.33 vs 3.00 non-owners; U=4714, P=.02; rb=-0.18, 95% CI -0.326 to -0.028), indicating a small effect. No significant group differences were observed for anxiety (Geriatric Anxiety Inventory: mean 5.33 vs 4.92, P=.52), psychological well-being (Mental Health Continuum-Short Form: mean 68.21 vs 67.46, P=.43), cognitive performance (Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status: mean 24.74 vs 24.30, P=.60), or cognitive reserve (Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire: mean 123.82 vs 123.28, P=.95).

The pet owner group presents fewer symptoms of depression in comparison to the non-pet owner group. Although no differences were observed in anxiety, well-being, cognitive functioning, or cognitive reserve, these findings suggest that pet companionship correlates with better emotional outcomes in later life. Future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causal pathways and examine whether the frequency and quality of interactions with pets influence these outcomes.