ABSTRACT

The loss of a companion animal results in millions of pet owners grieving annually. To date, little information has been synthesized on the grief response and coping mechanisms of bereaved pet owners. The aim of this review was to examine the relationship between pet loss and owner grief response. Major themes included: factors that influence the grief response, the disenfranchised nature surrounding pet loss, ambiguous pet loss and coping mechanisms used. Across the 48 studies included in this review, bereaved pet owners frequently reported feelings of embarrassment and loneliness following the loss of their pet. Types of coping mechanisms used by bereaved pet owners were identified and included: isolation, social support, continuing bonds, memorialization, religion, and relationships with other animals. Overall, this review was able to identify a consensus among the literature that bereaved pet owners are likely to experience disenfranchisement surrounding their loss. Based on the present findings, suggestions for future research include a focus on the effectiveness of coping mechanisms used by bereaved pet owners.

摘要

每年，失去伴侣动物都会导致数百万宠物主人悲伤。迄今为止，关于失去亲人的宠物主人的悲伤反应和应对机制的信息还很少。本次综述的目的是研究宠物丢失与主人悲伤反应之间的关系。主要主题包括：影响悲伤反应的因素、围绕宠物丢失的被剥夺权利的性质、模糊的宠物丢失以及所使用的应对机制。在本次综述中纳入的 48 项研究中，失去亲人的宠物主人经常表示在失去宠物后感到尴尬和孤独。确定了失去亲人的宠物主人使用的应对机制类型，包括：隔离、社会支持、持续的联系、纪念、宗教以及与其他动物的关系。全面的，这项审查能够在文献中达成共识，即失去亲人的宠物主人可能会因失去宠物而被剥夺权利。根据目前的发现，对未来研究的建议包括关注失去亲人的宠物主人所使用的应对机制的有效性。