Illustrative photo
Recently unveiled study results show that losing a pet can impact children’s mental health for years to come. It also shows that boys are more sensitive to tragedies of this type than girls. The authors invite parents and specialists to be attentive to this distress.
The relationship between a child and their dog , cat or any other pet can be very intense . We see it almost every day, especially through the beautiful friendship stories or the rescue stories that we tell here on Woopets .
As a result, the death of the animal is an extremely painful ordeal for his young human friend. The void left, as well as the incomprehension of the notion of death in the little ones, are all elements that make mourning difficult . A team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital has been examining the impact of the loss of a pet on child psychology , Study Finds reports.
An impact over several years
Led by Katherine Crawford , Erin Dunn and their colleagues at Harvard Medical School in Boston , it was published on September 10 in the institution’s journal. According to this work, the death of a pet can cause mental disorders in children. Their effects could even last during their adolescence , since, in some cases, they can be observed up to 3 years after the onset of the tragedy.
Boys more affected
The authors of the study point out that 63% of children living with a pet are facing ruin before their 7th birthday. Psychological problems linked to the death of the animal can therefore affect a large number of individuals.
By analyzing the data on 6,260 children, as well as the answers provided by them and their mothers, the researchers made another surprising discovery. They have, in fact, observed more mental disorders following the loss of a pet in boys than in girls.
Read also: Passionate about animals, a Douaisienne devotes her career to helping owners and their dog to live in harmony
