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Anthrozoos 2022 26;35(1):143-163. Epub 2021 Aug 26.

Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Social Work, Virginia, USA.

Human-animal interaction research is growing in popularity and methodological rigor; however, there remains a need for psychometrically validated measures and inclusion of broader populations. This study addressed these gaps by reporting on the psychometric properties of the Comfort from Companion Animals Scale (CCAS) in a sample of sexual and gender minority emerging adults. Participants included 138 emerging adults between the ages of 18-21 years ( 19. Read More

Anthrozoos 2021 1;34(5):671-684. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, USA.

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms between older adult pet owners and non-pet owners after accounting for various correlates. Research findings on the anxiety-relieving and antidepressant effects of late-life pet ownership are mixed and limited. This may be due in part to various characteristics that impact the likelihood of owning a pet. Read More

Anthrozoos 2021 23;34(3):393-406. Epub 2021 Apr 23.

Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.

Recent research suggests that service dogs may have clinically-relevant benefits for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the effects of PTSD service dogs on veterans' medication use has been largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of PTSD service dogs on medication use among a population of military veterans with PTSD. Read More

Anthrozoos 2016 8;29(1):137-150. Epub 2016 Mar 8.

Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.

Despite the prevalence of dogs as family pets and increased scientific interest in canine behavior, few studies have investigated characteristics of the child or dog that influence the child-dog relationship. In the present study, we explored how behavioral and self-report measures influence a child's reported feelings of attachment to their dog, as assessed by the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). We tested specifically whether children (= 99; Age: 10. Read More

Anthrozoos 2013 ;26(3)

The University of Queensland, School of Psychology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

This study investigated the effects of a classroom-based animal-assisted activities (AAA) program with guinea pigs on the social functioning of primary school children. We hypothesized that participants in the experimental condition ( = 64), compared with a waitlist control group ( = 64), would demonstrate improvements in social functioning following the program. Parents and teachers used the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) to evaluate the social skills and problem behaviors of 128 participating children (age range = 4. Read More

Anthrozoos 2012 Dec;25(4):441-456

Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, USA.

There is growing evidence that pet ownership and human-animal interaction (HAI) have benefits for human physical and psychological well-being. However, there may be pre-existing characteristics related to patterns of pet ownership and interactions with pets that could potentially bias results of research on HAI. The present study uses a behavioral genetic design to estimate the degree to which genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in frequency of play with pets among adult men. Read More

Anthrozoos 2011 Sep;24(3):273-285

University of Maryland School of Nursing, 655 W. Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA.

Evidence supports the contribution of depression, anxiety, and poor social support to mortality of hospitalized myocardial infarction (MI) patients. The contribution of depression to survival is independent of disease severity. Pet ownership, a non-human form of social support, has also been associated with one year survival of post-MI patients. Read More

Anthrozoos 1993 ;6(2):108-14

Anthrozoos 1992 ;5(4):218-9