Want to prevent elderly suicide? Having a pet dog, cat, or a bird at home during bad days can save older people from committing suicide.
- Pets are the best life-saver for many depressed older people
- Being with a pet dog, cat or a bird during bad days can protect older people from committing suicide
- Thus, pets can give older people a reason to live
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In a paper published in the journal Anthrozoos, Dr Young and colleagues discuss the unexpected findings from 35 interviews with older people (aged 60-83 years) on the impact of pets on their health.
More than one third (12) who reported being “actively suicidal” or “significantly traumatised” discussed how their pets gave them a reason to live. Feeling “known” by their pet was crucial. Taking responsibility for an animal (feeding, grooming and exercising it) gave them purpose, and the constant physical presence of a pet helped mitigate the loneliness and despair they felt.
“Pets are just wonderful companions,” one woman testified. “Just being there in your dark times, loving you, knowing you and appreciating you is a powerful thing, offering a sense of protection.”
Men, in particular, identified their pets as playing a key role in their mental health, Dr Young says.
Older people are more likely to experience complex health needs, social isolation and loneliness, and fear of burdening their families. For these reasons alone, pets can play a protective role, the researchers say.
The dearth of pet accommodation in aged care should be re-examined in light of these findings, the researchers say.
“Health and care providers need to understand the distress that many older people face when they have to relinquish their pets if they move into aged accommodation, lose their spouse or downside their home.”
“For some people, the loss of a pet may mean the loss of a significant mental health support, one that was perhaps even protecting them from ending their life.”
However, Dr Young says not all pet owners will fit this profile. “One pat of a dog per day isn’t going to work for everyone. And just giving an animal to someone hoping it will make them feel needed, is risky for both humans and animals.”
Reference:
- Pets can protect against suicide in older people - (https://www.unisa.edu.au/Media-Centre/Releases/2020/pets-can-protect-against-suicide-in-older-people/)
Source-Newswise