The Pet-Specific Reasons for Living Scale: development, validation, and associations with suicide-related outcomes

Companion animals may represent salient reasons for living, yet existing measures do not assess pet-related commitments. This study developed and validated the Pet-Specific Reasons for Living Scale (Pet-RFL) and examined its associations with mental health and suicidality.

Data were drawn from 962 U.S. adults completing an online survey. Sixteen Pet-RFL items, modeled on the Reasons for Living Inventory, were evaluated using exploratory factor analysis in a random subsample and confirmatory factor analysis in the full sample. Measurement invariance was tested across sociodemographic groups. Construct validity was examined via associations between each Pet-RFL factor score and depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal ideation, lifetime suicide attempt history, social support, and RFL domains.

A two-factor structure was supported, reflecting pet-related belongingness/responsibility and harm-avoidant obligation/concern. Both factors demonstrated excellent internal consistency and strong measurement invariance. Adjusting for covariates, higher belongingness/responsibility scores were associated with lower suicidal ideation, fewer depressive and stress symptoms, reduced odds of lifetime suicide attempt history, and greater survival/coping beliefs and moral objections as measured by the RFL. In contrast, when adjusting for covariates, higher harm-avoidant obligation/concern scores were associated with greater suicidal ideation, more depressive and stress symptoms, higher likelihood of lifetime suicide attempt history, and greater responsibility to family and fear of suicide and lower moral objections as measured by the RFL.

The Pet-RFL is a psychometrically supported measure capturing distinct pet-related reasons for living with differing associations to suicidality. Further, this study preliminarily distinguishes between belonging-based and harm-avoidant reasons for living related to companion animal relationships, highlighting the complex roles companion animals may play in human wellbeing, multispecies caregiving, suicidality, and veterinary social work practice.