One in 5 surveyed UK adults who have experienced the death of a pet report it as more distressing than experiencing human deaths. Significant rates of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) symptoms were also reported following pet loss.

PGD is a psychiatric disorder in ICD-11 that can only be diagnosed following the death of a person. Despite  evidence that people form strong attachments to their pets, and experience high levels of grief following their death, current guidelines do not allow PGD to be diagnosed following the death of a pet, the researchers said. This study tested whether there is anything unique about grief that follows the death of a person versus grief that follows the death of a pet.

The survey asked participants if they had ever experienced the death of a parent, a brother or sister, a partner or spouse, a child, any other family member (e.g., aunt, uncle, grandparent, cousin), a close friend, or a beloved pet. Participants were then asked to indicate the bereavement they found to be most distressing.

One-third (32.6%) of respondents had experienced the death of a pet, and almost all had also experienced the death of a human; 21% of these people chose the death of their pet as most distressing.

The relative risk of PGD following pet bereavement was 1.27, and pet loss accounted for 8.1% of all PGD cases in the population, both of which were higher than many types of human losses. PGD symptoms were similar between people who reported symptoms for a human bereavement and for a pet bereavement.

Therefore, the researchers said, “People can experience clinically significant levels of PGD following the death of a pet, and PGD symptoms manifest in the same way regardless of the species of the deceased.”

Data for the study were collected from 975 adults, and  were used to construct a sample that represented the UK adult population by sex, age, and nation (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland). About half of the participants were female, and age groups included ages 55-64 (14%) and 20% 65+ (20%).

The authors concluded, “The decision to exclude pet loss from the bereavement criterion for PGD can be viewed as not only scientifically misguided, but also as callous.”

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