Guardians' perceptions of the benefits of dogs in family dynamics during the pandemic

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva Vol. 29; no. 8; p. e06452024
• Main Authors: Firmino, Cristiana Isabel da Cruz Furtado, Pinto, Filipa Alexandra Coelho, Varela, Nídia Sofia Tavares, Westermann, Débora Bianca Sancho, Longo, João José Rolo, Fernandes, Maria João Sousa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil 01.08.2024
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - psychology; Dogs; Family - psychology; Family Relations - psychology; Female; Focus Groups; Human-Animal Bond; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Quarantine - psychology
• ISSN: 1678-4561; 1678-4561
• DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232024298.06452024

During the pandemic, there were a lot of lockdowns that brought changes to the population's daily routine, reducing social interactions, changing work and study methods, isolating the family at their home, which brought changes to family dynamics. These changes sparked the interest of nursing students in carrying out a research study. Starting from the question: What is the role of the dog in the family dynamics in times of pandemic? and the objective: identify the guardians' perceptions about the role of the dog in the family dynamics in a period of confinement, a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study was carried out, collecting data through a focus group with six guardians from different families. Bardin's protocol was used to analyze and process the data. Three categories emerged in this study, highlighting the benefits in terms of mental health, physical and psychological well-being of the family with the presence of the dog, its importance in strengthening family ties and the lessons learned from adopting the dogs. We conclude that, in nursing, it is necessary to highlight the presence of the dog in the family since it brings benefits to its dynamics.