Vol. 2 No. 4 (2026)

Research Articles

Dissolving Loneliness and Rebuilding Relationships: The Profound Empowerment of Pet Companionship in Active Aging

Published 2026-04-30

  • Xuehao Huang

Xuehao Huang
Beijing Normal University image/svg+xml

Abstract

In the context of population aging, loneliness among older adults has become a critical bottleneck constraining the advancement of active aging. With the weakening of traditional family-based care for older adults, the demand for emotional support and social connection among older adults is increasingly prominent. In this setting, pet companionship, as a non-institutional form of support for care of older adults, is playing a role that cannot be overlooked. This study employs the active aging theoretical framework to systematically examine the internal mechanisms by which pet companionship dissolves loneliness among older adults, the practical pathways for reconstructing social relationships among older adults, and, in combination with China’s local sociocultural context, analyzes its logic of empowerment for active aging as well as directions for localized development. The study shows that pet companionship achieves systematic intervention in loneliness among older adults through alleviating emotional loneliness, expanding social connections, reshaping life meaning, and maintaining psychological health. It further promotes the network reconstruction of multiple social relationships among older adults by adjusting family relations, activating neighborhood networks, linking community resources, and stimulating social participation. Ultimately, it realizes comprehensive empowerment for older adults across the dimensions of health, participation, and security, thereby fostering the reconstruction of their agency. This research not only enriches the localized connotations of active aging theory but also provides new sociological perspectives and practical insights for improving China’s diversified support system for care of older adults.

Keywords

pet companionship, active aging, loneliness, relationship reconstruction, profound empowerment

PDF

References

  1. Akhter-Khan, S. C., Prina, M., Wong, G. H. Y., Mayston, R., & Li, L. (2023). Understanding and addressing older adults’ loneliness: the social relationship expectations framework. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 18(4), 762-777.
  2. Barker, S. B., Schubert, C. M., Barker, R. T., Kuo, S. I. C., Kendler, K. S., & Dick, D. M. (2020). The relationship between pet ownership, social support, and internalizing symptoms in students from the first to fourth year of college. Applied Developmental Science, 24(3), 279-293.
  3. Beetz, A., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Julius, H., & Kotrschal, K. (2012). Psychosocial and psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: the possible role of oxytocin. Frontiers in psychology, 3, 234.
  4. Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss (No. 79). Random House.
  5. Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological bulletin, 98(2), 310.
  6. Feng, Q., & Gu, D. (2025). Mainstreaming aging in china: Ensuring inclusiveness for older adults in the national toilet revolution initiative. Public Policy & Aging Report, 35(2), 43-48.
  7. Friedmann, E., Gee, N. R., Eltantawy, M. R. A., & Cole, S. (2026). A Systematic Review of Pet Attachment and Health Outcomes in Older Adults. Pets, 3(1), 2.
  8. Gee, N. R., & Mueller, M. K. (2019). A systematic review of research on pet ownership and animal interactions among older adults. Anthrozoös, 32(2), 183-207.
  9. Gee, N. R., Rodriguez, K. E., Fine, A. H., & Trammell, J. P. (2021). Dogs supporting human health and well-being: A biopsychosocial approach. Frontiers in veterinary science, 8, 630465.
  10. Hui Gan, G. Z., Hill, A. M., Yeung, P., Keesing, S., & Netto, J. A. (2020). Pet ownership and its influence on mental health in older adults. Aging & mental health, 24(10), 1605-1612.
  11. Jiang, Q., & Sánchez-Barricarte, J. J. (2011). The 4-2-1 family structure in China: a survival analysis based on life tables. European journal of ageing, 8(2), 119-127.
  12. Li, J., & Wong, N. M. (2025). The mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between pet ownership and human well-being. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 35899.
  13. Liu, J. (2023). Filial piety, love or money? Foundation of old-age support in urban China. Journal of Aging Studies, 64, 101104.
  14. Meehan, M., Massavelli, B., & Pachana, N. (2017). Using attachment theory and social support theory to examine and measure pets as sources of social support and attachment figures. Anthrozoös, 30(2), 273-289.
  15. Mouchrek, N., & Benson, M. (2023). The theory of integrated empowerment in the transition to adulthood: concepts and measures. Frontiers in sociology, 8, 893898.
  16. Nagasawa, T., Kimura, Y., Masuda, K., & Uchiyama, H. (2023). Effects of interactions with cats in domestic environment on the psychological and physiological state of their owners: Associations among cortisol, oxytocin, heart rate variability, and emotions. Animals, 13(13), 2116.
  17. National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, Medicine Division, Board on Behavioral, Sensory Sciences, Board on Health Sciences Policy, ... & Loneliness in Older Adults. (2020). Social isolation and loneliness in older adults: Opportunities for the health care system.
  18. Ong, A. D., Uchino, B. N., & Wethington, E. (2016). Loneliness and health in older adults: A mini-review and synthesis. Gerontology, 62(4), 443-449.
  19. Paúl, C., Ribeiro, O., & Teixeira, L. (2012). Active ageing: An empirical approach to the WHO model. Current gerontology and geriatrics research, 2012(1), 382972.
  20. Perkins, D. D., & Zimmerman, M. A. (1995). Empowerment theory, research, and application. American journal of community psychology, 23(5), 569-579.
  21. Principi, A., Jensen, P. H., Lamura, G., & Jensen, P. H. (2014). Active ageing. Bristol University Press.
  22. Saraiva de Albuquerque, N., Schmitz Klain, I., Sigaran Machado, L., de Lara Machado, W., Moret-Tatay, C., & Quarti Irigaray, T. (2026). Pet Ownership, Depression, Anxiety, Well-Being, and Cognitive Functioning in Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Formative Research, 10, e76289.
  23. Sharpley, C., Veronese, N., Smith, L., López-Sánchez, G. F., Bitsika, V., Demurtas, J., ... & Jackson, S. E. (2020). Pet ownership and symptoms of depression: A prospective study of older adults. Journal of affective disorders, 264, 35-39.
  24. Tao, C., & Deng, R. (2025). Assessing the Level and Determinants of Active Aging in China: An LDA-Based Topic Modeling Approach. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 3819-3841.
  25. Vespa, A., Spatuzzi, R., Fabbietti, P., Di Rosa, M., Bonfigli, A. R., Corsonello, A., ... & Giulietti, M. V. (2023). Association between sense of loneliness and quality of life in older adults with multimorbidity. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(3), 2615.
  26. Weiss, R. (1975). Loneliness: The experience of emotional and social isolation. MIT press.
  27. Zilcha-Mano, S., Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2012). Pets as safe havens and secure bases: The moderating role of pet attachment orientations. Journal of Research in Personality, 46(5), 571-580.