Pet Attachment Support: What are the Relationships Among Loneliness, Social Support, and Subjective Well-Being in Older Adults?

Older persons are at risk for loneliness and diminished subjective well-being due to the disruptions in their social networks and the loss of personal relationships that occur for a variety of reasons. Hence, there is a need to generate knowledge to inform strategies aimed at reducing loneliness and impaired subjective well-being within this aggregate. The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to examine the relationships among loneliness, human social support, pet attachment support, and subjective well-being in a sample of community-residing older adults. Since the enhancement of clients? subjective well-being is a central focus in nursing practice, nurse scientits have an obligation to investigate the mechanisms that are associated with subjective well-being. Through the evolution of this knowledge, evidence-based interventions that promote subjective well-being can ultimately be designed and implemented.