Zebrowska Magdalena, Strohmaier Susanne, Huttenhower Curtis, Eliassen A Heather, Zeleznik Oana A, Westgarth Carri, Huang Tianyi, Laden Francine, Hart Jaime E, Rosner Bernard, Kawachi Ichiro, Chavarro Jorge E, Okereke Olivia I, Schernhammer Eva S
Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Aug 1;7(8):e2424810. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.24810.
Understanding how attachment to pets can alleviate depression and anxiety offers valuable insights for developing preventive and therapeutic strategies, particularly for those with insecure attachment styles from childhood trauma.
To determine if a close bond with a pet is associated with reduced depression and anxiety, especially among women who experienced childhood abuse.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study involved women who voluntarily enrolled in the Mind Body Study (MBS), a substudy of the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS2) focusing on psychosocial factors. Women reporting childhood abuse were oversampled to capture their psychosocial distress in adulthood. MBS participants were invited to complete comprehensive online questionnaires, which were administered twice (March 2013 and February 2014).
Pet attachment measured by Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS).
Levels of depression and anxiety (10-item Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CESD-10]; Kessler Psychological Distress Scale [K6]; 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]; Crown Crisp Experiential Index phobic anxiety subscale [CCI]), considered individually and combined into an overall z-score measure of anxiety and depression symptoms.
A total of 214 women (mean [SD] age, 60.8 [3.9] years) were included; 156 women (72.6%) reported a history of childhood abuse. Of 688 invited MBS participants in 2013, 293 (42.6%) expressed interest; there were 228 completed questionnaires (response rate, 77.8%) in 2013 and 208 questionnaires (response rate, 71.0%) in 2014. LAPS scores were provided by 140 participants (65.4%), 78 (55.7%) for dogs and 46 (32.9%) for cats. Overall higher pet attachment on the LAPS score was significantly associated with lower GAD-7 scores (β = -0.17; 95% CI, -0.29 to -0.06), but there was no association for phobic anxiety or depression. There were no statistically significant associations between cat attachment and depression or anxiety. Higher dog attachment was associated with significantly lower scores in depression (CESD-10: β, -0.47; 95% CI, -0.68 to -0.26; K6: β = -0.42; 95% CI, -0.54 to -0.31), generalized anxiety (GAD-7: β = -0.47; 95% CI, -0.65 to -0.3), and the overall measure of anxiety and depression (z score: β = -0.12; 95% CI, -0.17 to -0.08), but there was no association between dog attachment and phobic anxiety (CCI: β = -0.08; 95% CI, -0.24 to 0.09). All effect sizes for associations were higher when analyses were restricted to women with a history of childhood abuse.
In this explorative cross-sectional study, strong attachment to pets, especially dogs, was associated with lower anxiety and depression symptoms. The favorable association was particularly apparent in women with a history of childhood abuse.
了解与宠物的情感依恋如何减轻抑郁和焦虑，可为制定预防和治疗策略提供宝贵见解，特别是对于那些因童年创伤而有不安全依恋模式的人。
确定与宠物的亲密关系是否与抑郁和焦虑的减轻有关，尤其是在经历过童年虐待的女性中。
设计、背景和参与者：这项横断面研究涉及自愿参加身心研究（MBS）的女性，身心研究是护士健康研究II（NHS2）的一项子研究，重点关注社会心理因素。报告童年虐待经历的女性被过度抽样，以了解她们成年后的社会心理困扰。MBS参与者被邀请完成全面的在线问卷，问卷共发放两次（2013年3月和2014年2月）。
通过列克星敦宠物依恋量表（LAPS）测量宠物依恋程度。
抑郁和焦虑水平（10项流行病学研究中心抑郁量表[CESD - 10]；凯斯勒心理困扰量表[K6]；7项广泛性焦虑症量表[GAD - 7]；皇冠脆体验指数恐惧焦虑子量表[CCI]），分别进行考量，并综合为焦虑和抑郁症状的总体z评分指标。
共纳入214名女性（平均[标准差]年龄，60.8[3.9]岁）；156名女性（72.6%）报告有童年虐待史。在2013年受邀参加MBS的688名参与者中，293名（42.6%）表示有兴趣；2013年有228份问卷完成（回复率77.8%），20年有208份问卷完成（回复率71.0%）。140名参与者（65.4%）提供了LAPS评分，其中78名（55.7%）针对狗，46名（32.9%）针对猫。总体而言，LAPS评分上较高的宠物依恋程度与较低的GAD - 7评分显著相关（β = -0.17；95%置信区间，-0.29至-）但与恐惧焦虑或抑郁无关。猫的依恋与抑郁或焦虑之间无统计学上的显著关联。较高的狗依恋程度与抑郁（CESD - 10：β，-0.47；95%置信区间，-0.68至-0.26；K6：β = -0.42；95%置信区间，-0.54至-0.31）、广泛性焦虑（GAD - 7：β = -0.47；95%置信区间，-0.65至-0.3）以及焦虑和抑郁的总体指标（z评分：β = -0.12；95%置信区间，-0.17至-0.08）的显著较低评分相关，但狗依恋与恐惧焦虑（CCI：β = -0.08；95%置信区间，-0.24至0.09）之间无关联。当分析仅限于有童年虐待史的女性时，所有关联的效应量都更高。
在这项探索性横断面研究中，对宠物尤其是狗的强烈依恋与较低的焦虑和抑郁症状相关。这种有利关联在有童年虐待史的女性中尤为明显。
