COVID-19: A Study on the Effects of Pet Attachment & Perceived Family Functioning on Psychological Well Being & Loneliness among Adolescents

Abstract

One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing measures have forced schools to operate virtually. For children and adolescents, these closures mean lack of access to social and psychological resources provided by the school. Adolescence is a period of life marked by in-creasing autonomy from parents and more focus on peer relationships. During this time, forced social isolation could have a serious impact on the well-being of these young individuals. The purpose of the current research is to study the effects of pet attachment and perceived family functioning on psychological well-being and loneliness in adolescents. Standardized tools were used to measure pet attachment, family functioning, loneliness, and psychological well-being among 62 school going adolescents (31 pet owners, 31 non-pet owners) between the ages of 12-17. No significant effect of pet ownership on family functioning, well-being or loneliness. Future re-search is needed to study the long term effects of social isolation on adolescent well being. Further research is also needed in the area of human-companion animal relationship.