Mankind’s best friend: companionship in a lonely world

Abstract

Social relationships are a basic human need for human development and functioning. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of community. However, today three in five individuals in the U.S. feel lonely. The feeling of loneliness is an innate drive for social interaction. Recent studies have found positive biological and psychological effects of the presence of a household pet, or animal-assisted therapy. Understanding how social interaction works with same-species or differing-species can shed light on how to cope and overcome human loneliness. However, few studies connect the neurological effects of loneliness with the effects of animal companionship. In this study, research and interviews were conducted with seven individuals who own an equine or canine companion and have experienced severe loneliness. The goal was to investigate the neurological impact of loneliness on the brain (through research), and the behavioral effects of a companion animal in a lonely individual as a possible coping mechanism (through interviews). In this paper, companion animals were found to elicit positive effects through: companionship, emotional comfort, social frequency, happiness, responsibility, and outdoor interaction. Factors of companionship and emotional comfort were further investigated. Overall, companion dogs were found to decrease symptoms of loneliness through emotional comfort, while horses were found to decrease symptoms of loneliness through perceived challenge, expressed by interviewees. In research, companion animals evoke positive effects on the general population by decreasing stress cortisol levels, increasing mood, and decreasing pain. Animal-to-human interactions seem to play on the human need for validation, nonjudgmental environment, sense of belonging, and tactile reassurance. Overall, this paper looks to provide some further insight into social relationships, and possible tools for reducing loneliness.