Companion animals: social support for orthopedic clients.
Various definitions, conceptualizations, and measurements of social support exist in literature. Consistently among these variations, the focus is on people. Companion animals are not included; however, reviews of both social support literature and human-animal bond literature shows that the two share a number of common functions. Using two case studies, the author demonstrates that the social support of companion animals is a legitimate and relevant source of support for persons with orthopedic disorders.
University of San Francisco School of Nursing, California 94117, USA.
B J
BJ
Carmack
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D008022:Ligaments / Q000293:injuries; D016530:Orthopedic Nursing; D009985:Orthopedics; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States