Exploring the Impacts of Animal Companionship on theWell-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual Individuals in Australia

Recent research suggests that animal companionship offers benefits to human well-being over and above that offered by human companionship, yet to date this has not been explored in lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) populations. The present study examined whether animal companionship contributes uniquely to the well-being of LGBTQIA+ people above connections with other humans. Data were collected via an online survey completed by 370 LGBTQIA+ people living in Australia. All participants completed measures of well-being, psychological distress, and social connectedness, while those who lived with animals also completed measures of human–animal interactions and pet attachment and life impact. Well-being was statistically significantly higher for LGBTQIA+ people who lived with animal companions than those who did not; however, therewere no significant differences regarding psychological distress or social connectedness. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that animal companionship contributed uniquely to the well-being of LGBTQIA+ people over and above connections with other humans. Future research should specifically consider the impacts of human–animal relationships on animal companions rather than solely focusing on human counterparts to further analyze the complex and nuanced nature of these relationships. Implications of this research involve informing services relating to the health and well-being of LGBTQIA+ people, who consistently report poorer mental health and quality of life than cisgender/endosex/heterosexual people. Public Significance Statement This study suggests that animal companionship contributes to the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people over and above the benefits of connections with other humans. A unique element of this study is that it directly compared well-being outcomes of LGBTQIA+Australians who cohabit with animal companions with thosewho do not live with animal companions. These findings are important for understanding the significance of human–animal bonds for LGBTQIA+ people and highlight the importance of acknowledging and validating human– animal relationships in health care settings and social policies, especially among LGBTQIA+ populations.