ペットロスの疫学

抄録

Although advances in veterinary medicine have led to a decrease in morbidity and have extended the life of pets, an evaluation of practice by a client not only depends on objective outcomes but it also involves subjective recognition. Thus, a veterinarian should also consider the psychosocial aspects of clients.

Grief derived from the loss of a pet is a well-known problem in this field. Therefore, there is a need for scales to quantify grief for the purpose of epidemiological research. Additionally, longitudinal assessments should be planned because short-term symptoms might be a part of the normal mourning. In that way, our study revealed that about half of the bereaved clients suffered from psychological symptoms two and four months after the death of their pet, indicating the need for psychiatric intervention for major depression.

Epidemiological studies on grief related to the loss of a pet would help develop preventive measures. However, we need to remember that the symptoms of a bereaved client may worsen owing to the stigma attached to psychiatric illnesses. is attached the stigma, it would aggravate the symptoms.