The Relationship Between Companion Animals and Loneliness Among Rural Adolescents

The relationship between loneliness and companion animal bonding was explored among 293 rural adolescents. Participants from two ethnically diverse southwestern high schools completed self-report measures of loneliness, pet ownership, companion animal attachment, and social support. Pet owners reported significantly lower loneliness scores than non-pet owners. Furthermore, companion animal bonding scores were inversely related to loneliness scores. Companion animal attachment was positively related to the number of humans in the social support network. The results of this study indicate that interventions promoting a pet relationship may be valuable in reducing loneliness among adolescents. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.