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Emotional Support Animals in College
and University Housing
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS are increasingly common in residence
halls. This study examines the benefits and challenges of having an Emotional
Support Animal (ESA) while living in campus housing, from the perspective
of the animals' owners and their roommates. Using a mixed methods case
study approach, we collected qualitative and quantitative data via an online
survey and in-person focus groups. The following themes emerged as benefits
of emotional support animals, as identified by participants: improved or
maintained mental health, motivation to take care of oneself, and increased
social interactions. Challenges included having to disclose one's mental health
diagnosis, needing to educate others about their emotional support animal,
sharing it with others, ESA-related expenses, availability of pet supplies, barriers
to respite care, transportation and parking difficulties, potential pet loss, and the
difficulty of obtaining a letter from a health professional as part of the application
process to have an ESA on campus. Despite these challenges, participants
reported that the mental, social, and physical health benefits of having an
emotional support animal far outweighed the challenges and helped them
function personally and academically.
A
ccording to the American College Health Association (ACHA, 2019), approximately
33% of college and university students report experiencing anxiety,
depression, stress, and other mental health concerns. Longitudinal data
suggest that the percentage of students seeking mental health services in college is
growing, and many students are already prescribed psychiatric medication and/or
have severe psychological histories (ACHA, 2019; Oswalt et al., 2020; Twenge et al.,
2010; Xiao et al., 2017). Both poor mental health and physical impairment can limit
one's ability to perform major life activities, such as communicating, concentrating,
and caring for oneself. More students with disability are attending college, and this
trend is accompanied by an increase in the number of students with disabilities requesting
the help of an emotional support animal (ESA) that they can bring with them
to college (Kogan et al., 2016). However, few studies have documented the student
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