Barker Sandra B, Schubert Christine M, Barker Randolph T, Kuo Sally I-Chun, Kendler Kenneth S, Dick Danielle M
Department of Psychiatry, Center for Human-Animal Interaction, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, USA.
Appl Dev Sci. 2020;24(3):279-293. doi: 10.1080/10888691.2018.1476148. Epub 2018 Jul 24.
Internalizing symptoms are prevalent in students as they enter and complete college. Considering research suggesting mental health benefits of pet ownership, this study explores the relationship between pet ownership, social support (SS), and internalizing symptoms (IS) in a cohort of students across their 4-year college experience. With no differences at college entry, students growing up with pets had greater IS through the fourth year, and greater SS through the third year, than those without pets. Currently living with a pet, gender, SS and personality predicted IS in the fourth year. Females experiencing higher IS in their first year are more likely to live with pets in their fourth year, and fourth year females living with pets or greatly missing absent pets have higher IS than females without pets or missing pets less. Findings suggest a unique relationship between IS in female students and their pet relationships not seen in males.
内化症状在学生进入和完成大学学业期间普遍存在。鉴于有研究表明养宠物对心理健康有益，本研究探讨了在一组学生四年的大学经历中，养宠物、社会支持（SS）和内化症状（IS）之间的关系。入学时没有差异，但与没有宠物的学生相比，从小养宠物的学生在第四年有更严重的内化症状，在第三年有更多的社会支持。目前与宠物一起生活、性别、社会支持和个性可预测第四年的内化症状。第一年内化症状较高的女性在第四年更有可能与宠物一起生活，第四年与宠物一起生活或非常想念不在身边宠物的女性比没有宠物或不太想念宠物的女性有更严重的内化症状。研究结果表明，女学生的内化症状与其宠物关系之间存在一种男性未表现出的独特关系。
