Background: Approximately 9.7% of university students exhibit symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD), characterized by disturbed self-identity, low self-esteem, and emotion dysregulation. Caring for a pet may enhance self-esteem and provide a sense of purpose, potentially benefiting those with BPD.
Methods: This study aimed to explore the relationship between pet ownership and mental health in 346 university students with BPD symptoms. Participants were classified as pet owners or non-pet owners. Mental health outcomes were assessed using validated self-report instruments, including the Outcome Inventory-21 (OI-21), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale–Thai Revised (RSES-TR), the Revised Thai version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (R-Thai MSPSS), the Thai version of the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (T-PSS-10), and the Inner Strength-Based Inventory (iSBI).
Results: No significant differences were observed between the two groups in adverse mental health outcomes. However, pet owners demonstrated higher levels of inner strengths, including truthfulness (t (240) = 4.10, p < 0.001), wisdom (t (240) = 3.72, p < 0.001), generosity (t (242) = 2.16, p = 0.032), tolerance (t (242) = 2.44, p = 0.016), determination (t (237) = 2.43, p = 0.017), and loving-kindness (t (242) = 2.04, p = 0.043). Notably, dog owners reported lower levels of anxiety (t (237) = -2.40, p = 0.017), depression (t (243) = -2.03, p = 0.043), and somatization (t (244) = -2.56, p = 0.025), while also scoring higher in self-esteem (t (242) = 2.15, p = 0.032) compared to non-pet owners. In contrast, no significant differences in mental health outcomes were found between cat owners and non-pet owners.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that pet ownership, especially ownership of dogs, may be positively associated with mental health among university students with BPD symptoms. Future research should explore intervention-based approaches to validate these results.
Keywords: Borderline personality disorder; Mental health; Pets; University students.