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- Title
Pet Support and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Emotional Approach Coping.
- Authors
Acoba, Evelyn F.; Resurreccion, Ron R.
- Abstract
Pet support has been associated with improved mental health; however, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. This study explored whether emotional approach coping mediates the relationship between pet support and stress, anxiety, and depression. Drawing from Lazarus and Folkman's stress and coping theory, the study emphasized the influential role of social support as a coping resource which influences coping. The study hypothesized that pet support promotes emotional approach coping which in turn decreases negative mental health symptoms. A cross-sectional survey was conducted online during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, among 294 Filipino adult pet owners. Participants completed measures including the Comfort from Companion Animal Scale (CCAS), Emotional Approach Coping (EAC), and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The hypotheses of the study were tested using simple mediation analysis. Consistent with the hypotheses, pet support increased emotional approach coping, which, in turn decreased stress, anxiety and depression. Emotional approach coping fully mediated the relationship between pet support and stress and anxiety, while it partially mediated the connection between pet support and depression. Pet support's association with improved mental health can be accounted by its promotion of emotional approach coping. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
- Subjects
MENTAL illness; MENTAL health; COVID-19 pandemic; STRESS management; PET owners
- Publication
North American Journal of Psychology, 2024, Vol 26, Issue 2, p345
- ISSN
1527-7143
- Publication type
Article