Prevalence of depression among pet and nonpet owners residing in urban Mysuru: A cross-sectional study
J. Harshitha, Amogha Shree, D S KishorBACKGROUND:
The National Mental Health Survey conducted in India during 2015–2016 found that at least 15% of Indian adults need an active intervention for at least one or more mental health problems. It also revealed that 1 in 20 Indians are suffering from depression. Fewer research has reported that having pets reduces depression among the individuals. In this background, our study tries to estimate the prevalence of depression among pet and nonpet owners.
METHODOLOGY:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in the community by taking an equal number of pet and nonpet owners. Snowball sampling was used to identify pet owners, and an equal number of nonpet owners were included by convenient sampling method. Depression anxiety stress scale-21 (DASS 21) scale was used to measure the level of depression. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. The results were represented as tables and graphs as relevant.
RESULTS:
The mean age of the participants was 33.6 years, and the majority of the participants were female (54%). Among extremely depressed, 83.3% were nonpet owners and 16.7% were pet owners. Female pet owners were less depressed compared to female nonpet owners. Pet ownership was associated with reduced depression.
CONCLUSION:
The study revealed that pet owners were less depressed compared to nonpet owners, and there was a significant association between gender and depression among pet and nonpet owners.