Exploring the Relationship Between Human-Animal Interactions at Work and Mental Health: Unraveling the Dynamics for Individuals With Higher Neuroticism

Daily interactions typically can be a reflection of a person's mental health. Despite the existing literature emphasizing the importance of social interactions for mental health, few studies have focused on human-animal interactions, particularly in the work context. Thus, this study sought to expand knowledge and relied on the affective events theory to test (1) the mediating role of the daily affect ratio in the relationship between daily human-animal interactions and mental health and (2) the moderating role of neuroticism in the previous indirect relationship. To test the hypotheses, a daily design was used (N = 53 x 5 = 265). The multilevel results revealed that (1) daily human-animal interactions are positively related to mental health through the daily affect ratio; however, (2) the affect ratio depended more on daily human-animal interactions when individuals had higher levels of neuroticism, which means that (3) neuroticism intensified the indirect relationship between daily human-animal interactions and mental health through affect ratio. Overall, opportunities for human-animal interactions under telework settings may be a well-suited strategy for employees who score higher on neuroticism.