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Cited by 302Human-Animal Interaction StudiesAnimal Behavior and Welfare StudiesChild Therapy and Development

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 84 of the 85 references it cites were found in a registry or an index, and 1 are not checked yet.

Companion Animals and Child/Adolescent Development: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

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Purewal, Rebecca, Christley, Robert, Kordas, Katarzyna, Joinson, Carol, Meints, Kerstin, Gee, Nancy, Westgarth, Carri·2017·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
DOI 10.3390/ijerph14030234PMC PMC5369070
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Abstract

Childhood and adolescence are important developmental phases which influence health and well-being across the life span. Social relationships are fundamental to child and adolescent development; yet studies have been limited to children’s relationships with other humans. This paper provides an evidence review for the potential associations between pet ownership and emotional; behavioural; cognitive; educational and social developmental outcomes. As the field is in the early stages; a broad set of inclusion criteria was applied. A systematic search of databases and grey literature sources found twenty-two studies meeting selection criteria. The review found evidence for an association between pet ownership and a wide range of emotional health benefits from childhood pet ownership; particularly for self-esteem and loneliness. The findings regarding childhood anxiety and depression were inconclusive. Studies also showed evidence of an association between pet ownership and educational and cognitive benefits; for example, in perspective-taking abilities and intellectual development. Evidence on behavioural development was unclear due to a lack of high quality research. Studies on pet ownership and social development provided evidence for an association with increased social competence; social networks; social interaction and social play behaviour. Overall, pet ownership and the significance of children’s bonds with companion animals have been underexplored; there is a shortage of high quality and longitudinal studies in all outcomes. Prospective studies that control for a wide range of confounders are required.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.3390/ijerph14030234

Cites

84 of 85 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Figures

Figure 1 PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) flow diagram.
Figure 1 PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) flow diagram.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 2 Harvest plot showing evidence for the impact pets have on categories of child and adolescent development. The table consists of eight rows (one for each dimension of development) and three columns (showing the differential effects of the evidence in each category). Each study is represented by a bar in each row; studies can be identified by reference number. Statistically significant effects (use of p-values) are indicated with solid blue bars, and studies with no confidence intervals and p-values reported are striped bars. The quality of study design is indicated by the height of the bar as categorised by OCEBM level of Evidence 2011. Each bar is annotated with marking to show risk of bias.
Figure 2 Harvest plot showing evidence for the impact pets have on categories of child and adolescent development. The table consists of eight rows (one for each dimension of development) and three columns (showing the differential effects of the evidence in each category). Each study is represented by a bar in each row; studies can be identified by reference number. Statistically significant effects (use of p-values) are indicated with solid blue bars, and studies with no confidence intervals and p-values reported are striped bars. The quality of study design is indicated by the height of the bar as categorised by OCEBM level of Evidence 2011. Each bar is annotated with marking to show risk of bias.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 3 Hypothesized links for the impact of pet ownership and attachment on emotional health outcomes that postulates (a) physiological responses from pet interaction result in stress reduction (green pathway), and (b) anxiety, separation anxiety and depression are indirectly reduced by a wider social network and increased social support and companionship from pets (blue pathways) and (c) pet attachment may be indirectly affected by primary caregiver attachment (mother figure) through the internal working model (red pathway).
Figure 3 Hypothesized links for the impact of pet ownership and attachment on emotional health outcomes that postulates (a) physiological responses from pet interaction result in stress reduction (green pathway), and (b) anxiety, separation anxiety and depression are indirectly reduced by a wider social network and increased social support and companionship from pets (blue pathways) and (c) pet attachment may be indirectly affected by primary caregiver attachment (mother figure) through the internal working model (red pathway).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 4 Hypothesized links for the impact of pet ownership and attachment on self-esteem, and loneliness that postulates (a) pet attachment directly increases self-esteem, and self-esteem and self-concept are increased indirectly through a wider social network resulting in increased social support (green) and (b) loneliness is reduced through a wider social network gained from having a pet, and increased social support and companionship from the pet (blue) and (c) relationship and communication skills are honed through increased social interaction (red).
Figure 4 Hypothesized links for the impact of pet ownership and attachment on self-esteem, and loneliness that postulates (a) pet attachment directly increases self-esteem, and self-esteem and self-concept are increased indirectly through a wider social network resulting in increased social support (green) and (b) loneliness is reduced through a wider social network gained from having a pet, and increased social support and companionship from the pet (blue) and (c) relationship and communication skills are honed through increased social interaction (red).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 5 Hypothesized links for the impact of pet ownership and attachment on cognitive and educational outcomes, that postulates (a) Executive Functions are indirectly supported by stress reduction and increased social support, and therefore a reduced incidence of problematic behaviours follows (green) and (b) improved academic outcomes may result due to education being positively affected by improved executive functions and increased social support (blue) and (c) social cognition and language acquisition are enhanced by communication and social interaction with pets (red).
Figure 5 Hypothesized links for the impact of pet ownership and attachment on cognitive and educational outcomes, that postulates (a) Executive Functions are indirectly supported by stress reduction and increased social support, and therefore a reduced incidence of problematic behaviours follows (green) and (b) improved academic outcomes may result due to education being positively affected by improved executive functions and increased social support (blue) and (c) social cognition and language acquisition are enhanced by communication and social interaction with pets (red).CC BY · PubMed Central

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Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. Melson, G.F., and Schwarz, R. (1994, January 1). Pets as social supports for families of young children. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Delta Society, New York, NY, USA.
  2. Melson, 1991, Children’s attachment to their pets: Links to socio-emotional development, Children’s Environ. Quart., 8, 55
  3. Turner, C.C.W.D.C. (1998). Companion Animals in Human Health, SAGE Publications Ltd.
  4. Güçlü, M. (2016, January 5). The effects of keeping pets on children. Proceedings of the Multidisciplinary Academic Conference, Melikgazi, Kayseri, Turkey.
  5. Piaget, J. (1969). The Mechanisms of Perception, Routledge & Kegan Paul.
  6. Freund, L., McCune, S., Esposito, L., Gee, N.R., and McCardle, P. (2016). The Social Neuroscience of Human-Animal Interaction, American Psychological Association. · DOI · Paper page
  7. Serpell, J.A., Coppinger, R., Fine, A.H., Peralta, J., and Aubrey, H. (2006). Handbook of Animal-Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice, Academic Press.

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Metadata

Authors
Purewal, R., Christley, R., Kordas, K., Joinson, C., Meints, K., Gee, N., & Westgarth, C.
Affiliations
  • University of Liverpool (GB)
  • University of Bristol (GB)
  • University of Lincoln (GB)
  • State University of New York (US)
Corresponding author
Purewal, Rebecca
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2017-02-27
Volume
14
Issue
3
Pages
234
ISSN
1660-4601 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/ijerph14030234
PMC
PMC5369070
OpenAlex
W2594712267
Cited by
302
References
84
Citations by year
2026: 25 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 55 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 5
FWCI
2.42
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Explore Bristol Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Lincoln Repository (University of Lincoln) (acceptedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Human-Animal Interaction Studies
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Therapy and Development
Keywords
pet ownership, companion animals, child development, adolescent development, emotional well-being, self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety, depression, perspective taking, intellectual development, social competence, social networks, social interaction, social play
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Animals, Anxiety, Child, Child Development, Depression, Humans, Loneliness, Mental Health, Self Concept, Adolescent Development, Pets

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