Older Adults’ Experience of Companion Animal Death: Findings of a Bereavement and Disenfranchised Grief Survey (65634)
Session Chair: Albina Veltman
Friday, January 6, 2023 (16:15)
Session: Session 5
Room: 318B
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
Background: The number of older adults living with a companion animal (CA) is increasing. There is a dearth of research regarding companion animal death and subsequent human grieving. Emerging research suggests that grief over CA death is often discounted and unrecognized (disenfranchised) by others. The extent and consequences of this disenfranchised grief (DG) are poorly understood. This study deepens our understanding of older adults’ experience of DG in relation to companion animal death.
Methods: Participants were recruited through social media platforms to participate in an online questionnaire that collected demographic information and standardized measures of companion animal attachment, bereavement, and DG.
Results: The majority of the 98 participants were between 60 and 70 years of age, female, and lived alone. Following their CA’s death, many identified a decrease in their physical activity and 47% reported decreased emotional health. One-third identified they needed to be careful about who they disclosed their grief to and not being certain that they would be supported. This group had a significantly greater likelihood of a perceived decrease in physical health and scoring higher on the Bereavement Questionnaire.
Conclusions: This study adds weight to the emergent body of evidence highlighting CA bereavement as an impactful health and wellbeing issue. We found DG is experienced by a sizable group of older adults following CA death and that many participants perceived socially-legitimized recognition of loss and accompanying bereavement resources were lacking. These shortfalls contribute to health risks that decrease older adults’ ability to successfully age in the community.
Authors:
Cary Brown, University of Alberta, Canada
Donna Wilson, University of Alberta, Canada
Eloise Carr, University of Calgary, Canada
Doug Gross, University of Alberta, Canada
Maxi Miciak, University of Alberta, Canada
Jean Wallace, University of Calgary, Canada
About the Presenter(s)
Dr Cary Brown is a University Professor/Principal Lecturer at in Canada
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