Attitude towards pets and depression among residents in Klang Valley, Malaysia: Moderating effect of pet ownership

• Published in: Journal of concurrent disorders 2023, Vol.5 (1-Supplemental), p.27
• Main Authors: Phang, Kelly, Fall, Abdoul Aziz, Jamil, Zubaidah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitudes; Mental depression; Mental health
• ISSN: 2562-7546; 2562-7546
• DOI: 10.54127/SQJX8459

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the moderating effect of pet ownership in the relationship between attitude toward pets and depression among residents in Klang Valley. Methods: A sample of 238 participants were recruited using stratified random sampling method. The instruments used were the Pet Attitude Scale-Modified (PAS-M) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Moderation analyses was conducted using SPSS 22.0.0.0 and PROCESS. Results: There was a moderating effect of pet ownership in the relationship between attitude toward pets and depression (b= -.093, p= .049). However, the conditional effects of both conditions (i.e., owns a pet, does not own a pet) yielded non-significant relationships respectively. Further, non- significant relationship was reported between attitude toward pets and depression level, regardless of pet ownership. Conclusion: Pet ownership may play a role in facilitating mental health (e.g., alleviating depression) when coupled with a positive attitude toward pets. Future studies should consider exploring this area further for the benefit of improving mental health issues (e.g., depression) in Malaysia. Implication: The present study has explored further into the field of psychological research on Human Animal Interactions and suggests that more work is needed to understand the relationships between attitude toward pets, pet ownership, and depression among residents in Klang Valley.