It is well known that caring for a seriously ill person is a constant and stressful endeavor that increases the risk of anxiety and depression. However, is it the same with pets? A team of scientists from Kent State University in Ohio (USA) present their conclusions in this regard in the journal Veterinary Record.
The ‘caregiver burden’, the person caring for another sick person, exposes that person to depression, social isolation and an overall poorer quality of life. And, while this extreme has been well studied with humans, it has rarely or never been addressed in the case of pet owners or even veterinarians.
Therefore, the experts examined the link between the caregiver burden of pet owners diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness and the risk of anxiety and depression on the part of humans , as well as veterinarians who support both animals and pets. their owners in the course of the disease.
Owners are exposed to high stress
The scientists had the participation of 600 owners of dogs or cats, reducing this number to 119 owners whose pet had been diagnosed with a chronic disease , or that the animal was already in its terminal phase. They were paired with 119 other participants who owned healthy cats or dogs (the control group).
Participants in both groups were matched for age, sex, and the species of pet they owned. They assessed the participants’ levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life using a version of the Zarit Burden Interview , a questionnaire that aims to assess caregiver burden among people who routinely provide care for the elderly.
They found that chronically or terminally ill owners of cats and dogs were, unsurprisingly, exposed to high levels of stress and exhibited symptoms of anxiety or depression . They also reported having a much lower quality of life. This detrimental effect also affected veterinarians.
“If pet owners have trouble separating their own distress from medically necessary and appropriate veterinary care, overuse of the service may occur. Additionally, a client’s emotional distress may manifest as anger, as expressions of disappointment or grievances, transferring effectively the burden from the client to the supplier, in this case the veterinarian “, explain the authors.
Study limits
The authors acknowledge that the research has limitations, including the fact that the sample of participants was fairly homogeneous. Most of the pet owners recruited were “highly educated and of relatively high socioeconomic class.” They also point out that an unclear “if the high load leads to a poorer psychosocial functioning.”
However, it is clear that this is a pioneering study in the context of veterinary care: “This inaugural exploration of the caregiver burden within a veterinary setting is the first step in assessing the impact of veterinary care on clients, as well as the impact of the client’s emotional distress on veterinary well-being “, concludes Katherine J. Goldberg, co-author of the work.
Referencia: Caregiver burden in owners of a sick companion animal: a cross-sectional observational stud Mary Beth Spitznagel, Dana M Jacobson, Melanie D Cox, DVM3 y Mark D Carlson. Veterinary Record 2017. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.104295
