The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents an opportunity to explore the role of animals as sources of emotional and physical support during a period when most of the population is experiencing social and environmental challenges. We investigated how companion animal owners perceived the influence of human–animal interaction on their physical and mental health during the first COVID-19 lockdown phase in the U.K., and what concerns they had regarding their animals at this time. We also explored the impact of participants’ interaction with non-companion animals during this phase. A cross-sectional online survey of U.K. residents aged over 18 was conducted between April and June 2020. The final item of the survey invited open-ended free-text responses, allowing participants to describe any experiences and/or perceptions of their human–animal relationships during the COVID-19 lockdown phase. A qualitative thematic analysis of responses was undertaken. Four main themes related to the following aspects of human–animal interactions during the COVID-19 lockdown phase were identified: the positive impact of animal ownership during the COVID-19 lockdown (e.g., amelioration of wellbeing and mental health), concerns relating to animal ownership during the COVID-19 lockdown (e.g., concerns over animals carrying the COVID-19 virus), grief and loss of an animal during the COVID-19 lockdown and the impact of engaging with non-companion animals during the COVID-19 lockdown. The findings complement and extend previous insights into the impact of human–animal interaction with both companion and non-companion animals. They also highlight the challenges of caring for an animal during the lockdown phase and indicate the need to consider the development of further targeted support strategies, such as “day care” for the companion animals of key workers in this context.

中文翻译：

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英国首个COVID-19锁定阶段人与动物互动对心理和身体健康的影响：质性探索

在大多数人口面临社会和环境挑战的时期，2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行为探索动物作为情感和身体支持来源的作用提供了机会。我们调查了在英国的第一个COVID-19锁定阶段，伴侣动物的主人如何感觉到人与动物互动对其身心健康的影响，以及他们目前对动物的担忧。我们还探讨了此阶段参与者与非伴侣动物互动的影响。在2020年4月至2020年6月之间，对18岁以上的英国居民进行了在线横断面调查。调查的最后一项邀请开放式自由文本回复，允许参与者在COVID-19锁定阶段描述其与人兽关系的任何经历和/或看法。对答复进行了定性的主题分析。确定了与COVID-19锁定阶段人类与动物互动的以下方面有关的四个主要主题：COVID-19锁定期间动物所有权的积极影响（例如，改善福祉和心理健康），与动物有关的关注在COVID-19锁定期间拥有所有权（例如，对携带COVID-19病毒的动物的担忧），在COVID-19锁定期间动物的悲伤和丧失，以及在COVID-19锁定期间与非伴侣动物交往的影响。这些发现补充并扩展了先前的见解，从而揭示了人类与伴侣动物和非伴侣动物互动的影响。他们还着重指出了在锁定阶段照顾动物的挑战，并指出有必要考虑制定进一步针对性的支持策略，例如在这种情况下为关键工人的陪伴动物提供“日托”。