Content area
Abstract
The current research sought to better define the relationships between empathy, animal bonding, and mental health symptoms in adolescents receiving a mental health service or intervention. Participants included adolescents (N = 51) between the ages of 12 and 18 who had a pet at home and were receiving psychiatric treatment in one of eight different clinics in Arkansas. Participants completed brief questionnaires about their pet and the following four scales: Bryant Empathy Index, Companion Animal Bonding Scale, Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale, and the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition. Results revealed no significant correlations among the main study variables. Stepwise regressions were also found to be non-significant. Of note, the two animal bonding scales were significantly and positively correlated. In addition, the time participants spent with their pet was significantly and positively related to their animal bonding scores. Empathy also had a small, but significant, positive correlation with anxiety and self-reliance, and a small, but significant, negative correlation with self- esteem. Although previous research suggests otherwise, animal bonding did not significantly relate to either empathy or mental health in the present sample. Continuing to examine the role of animal bonding in the context of mental health and social functioning remains of great importance, particularly if future therapeutic approaches and interventions incorporate the use of an animal.