Results and discussion

The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of social isolation in the Brazilian territory during the Covid-19 pandemic on the relationship between guardians and domestic animals. This objective became necessary, since the health measures adopted by the Unified Health System (SUS), which is 1 of the largest, and most complex free public health systems in the world (established by the Brazilian government), changed the dynamics of relationships, keeping people at home, and consequently, closer to their pets. Thus, the present study sought to understand the impacts of this change in the relationship between tutors and their animals in their homes and these changes were described in the results of the present study.

The data were collected by completing an online questionnaire administered throughout Brazil, respecting the inclusion criteria. Of the survey participants who owned pets during the pandemic period in Brazil, 82.4% were female and only 17.5% were male, of which 51.5% had higher education, and 90.9% resided in an urban area.

When asked about the impact caused by the pandemic, 33.6% said they were directly affected by the pandemic, that is, they suffered some changes caused exclusively by the emergence of the pandemic and social isolation, and 60.4% were partially affected, through changes arising indirectly from the pandemic, such as the affectation of the stock market, and changes in work, social relations, to comply with sanitary standards. Only 6% said they were not affected at all (Table 1). 1 of the main characteristics that directly and indirectly influence people’s psychological well-being is linked to lack of freedom and of social contacts due to the social isolation, which were reported in different periods of epidemics such as HIV/ AIDS, H1N1 flu, and Ebola virus, as well as Zika virus. ^{Reference Blakey, Reuman, Jacoby and Tracing19,Reference Wang, Pan and Wan20} In recent studies on social isolation in the Covid-19 pandemic period, emotional and behavioral consequences experienced in the period of distancing have been related. These studies found these worsening in relation to demographic, economic, and social conditions; an increase in sedentary lifestyle and a decrease in physical activity was also observed. ^{Reference Islam, Ferdous and Potenza21–Reference Sultana, Tasnim, Bhattacharya, Hossain and Neetu24}

Table 1.

Data on the time experienced in social isolation and the perception of the level of emotional affectation experienced during this period

When asked about social isolation, 95% of participants in this study reported having gone through this distancing in some way, and 52.4% said they were financially affected by the pandemic. 81.4% of the participants stated that they had not experienced financial difficulties to keep their animals, compared to 18.6% who reported this difficulty. Economic difficulties also contributed as an aggravating factor for psychological problems, with an increasing number of people inside the margin of poverty, and worrying about basic food. Others were concerned about issues such as unpaid rent and the risk of not having the resources to service their debts. In the US, while more than 30 million people applied for unemployment insurance in April, 2 large surveys showed that about 20% of children did not have access to sufficient food. In Brazil, the institution of emergency aid was 1 of its major interventions to minimize the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for the most vulnerable part of the population. ^{Reference Yang and Mutchler25–Reference Cénat, Dalexis, Kokou-Kpolou, Mukunzi and Rousseau28}

73.9% of the respondents said they had dogs, 49.5% felines, 7.3% birds, and 9.7% said they had other animal species (Figure 1). While it’s true that people with pets often have higher health and quality of life rates than those who don’t, a pet doesn’t necessarily have to be a dog or feline. The animal species can vary according to the need and availability of each tutor, with the main aspect to be considered as the way in which this relationship will be built. It is based on this that even the ownership of pets is also related to the improvement of cardiovascular disease in elderly and hypertensive people. Simply watching fish in an aquarium can help reduce muscle tension and lower stress levels. ^{Reference Chowdhury, Nelson, Jennings, Wing and Reid16,Reference Giumelli, Pereira and Marciane29}

Figure 1.

Different species of animals belonging to guardians in the period of social isolation in Brazil.

It was found that, from the period of social isolation, 64.6% reported having increased hygienic care for their pets and 65.9% said that no greater efforts were needed in the care of their animals in this period. 87.5% also reported not having needed to leave their pets for any reason. These data suggest a link with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the importance of increasing hygiene care to combat the Sars-CoV-2 virus.

In a recent study on the perception of tutors about their pets titled ‘Tutors’ perception of the behavior of dogs and cats in the face of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic,’ most respondents reported having noticed behavioral changes in their pets after the beginning of social isolation as a result of COVID-19, especially when related to the lack of affection between the animal, and its guardian; agitation being the most frequently observed change in behavior. This is possibly due to greater human-animal contact during the isolation period. This routine of care for a pet that exhibits these behaviors during social distancing seems to be of immense benefit to those dealing with issues such as loneliness, a feeling that can be frequent throughout the pandemic. ^{Reference Silva, Dantas, Barbosa and Silva30}

Emotionally, 85.9% said they had not faced any difficulty in relation to their animals, against 14.1% who reported some degree of emotional difficulty in the relationship, such as sadness/anguish, for having had an atypical situation during the period of social isolation. Even so, 95.5% stated that their pets were instrumental in overcoming bad feelings during the period of social isolation. This almost unanimous perception among guardians about the importance of their pets in overcoming bad feelings during isolation demonstrates how these animals can be a rich additional source of affective support while the world is facing emotional problems arising from the pandemic of COVID-19. ^{Reference Hoy-Gerlach, Vincent and Lory Hector31}

A recent study of treatment-resistant depression patients examined the therapeutic effect of having a pet on depression symptoms. The study compared 33 depressed participants who accepted the suggestion to adopt a pet against 33 depressed participants who did not. At follow-up, people who adopted pets had significant results in decreasing their depressive symptoms, in addition to showing an increase in rates of adherence and response to associated treatments, than participants who did not own pets. About the relationships with their pets, 98.8% said they had affectionate relationships of care, love, and affection with their pets, whereas 76.8% reported that this relationship was similar even before the coronavirus pandemic period in Brazil. About the predominant feelings felt by the pet owner in relation to their pets, happiness, hope, and gratitude were much more frequent than feelings of anger, boredom, irritability, and loneliness (Table 2). These results strengthen how interaction with and caring for pets are largely beneficial for emotional balance, and for the maintenance of the psychological health of their guardians. ^{Reference Hoy-Gerlach, Vincent and Lory Hector31–Reference Vincent, Mamzer, Ng and Farkas38}

Table 2.

Data on the influence of pets on feelings, and sensations from the perception of tutors in relation to their pets in the period of social isolation in Brazil

Our results are in line with other studies that present pets as 1 of the most important and valid therapeutic relationships that people can have during challenging times of any origin. ^{Reference Barker, Schubert, Barker, Kuo, Kendler and Dick39–Reference Tanaka, Saeki, Hayama and Kass43}