Human-companion animal relationship quality and companion animal owner mental health: A longitudinal study

Study purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore longitudinally whether pet owner mental health predicts human-pet relationship quality; and whether human-pet relationship quality predicts pet owner mental health. Hypotheses 1. Decreases in depression will predict increases in self-expansion. 2. Decreases in anxiety will predict increases in self-expansion. 3. Decreases in depression will predict increases in perceived pet responsiveness. 4. Decreases in anxiety will predict increases in perceived pet responsiveness. 5. Decreases in depression will predict decreases in perceived pet insensitivity. 6. Decreases in anxiety will predict decreases in perceived pet insensitivity. 7. Decreases in depression will predict decreases in the human-animal bond. 8. Decreases in anxiety will predict decreases in the human-animal bond. 9. Increases in self-expansion will predict decreases in depression. 10. Increases in self-expansion will predict decreases in anxiety. 11. Increases in perceived pet responsiveness will predict decreases in depression. 12. Increases in perceived pet responsiveness will predict decreases in anxiety. 13. Decreases in perceived pet insensitivity will predict decreases in depression. 14. Decreases in perceived pet insensitivity will predict decreases in anxiety. 15. Increases in human-pet bond will predict increases in depression. 16. Increases in human-pet bond will predict increases in anxiety.