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METHODOLOGY
To examine the perceived benefits and challenges of having an ESA while living in
college residence halls, a mixed methods study was conducted at Miami University
(IRB approval 03343e) in October of 2019. The ESA owner participants took part in
semi-structured interviews or focus groups and then were asked to complete an online
survey. These participants were recruited for the study through emails sent by the
Miller Center for Student Disability Services (SDS) to the list of 36 ESA owners who
were currently registered with SDS and had received university approval to have an
emotional support animal in the residence halls (Miami University, 2023). As part of
the online survey, ESA owners were asked whether they would be willing to have their
roommate take part in the study as well.
Four focus group meeting times were identified, and participants selected the
best day/time for their schedule. Four ESA owners and one roommate participated
in focus groups, while two ESA owners participated in individual interviews. The
same semi-structured interview protocol was followed for both the focus groups and
individual interviews, which lasted an average of 45 minutes, after which ESA owners
were asked to complete an online survey. One additional ESA owner was unable to
participate in the focus groups and interviews but completed the online survey, and
two roommates of ESA owners completed the roommate survey.
Sample
A total of nine participants ages 18-24 were included in the study: seven were ESA
owners and two were roommates of those ESA owners. Of the nine participants, seven
participated in a focus group or interview, and all nine completed a survey. All
participants were currently enrolled at Miami University, a large Midwestern public
university. Demographically, for the 2019-20 academic year, 15% of undergraduate
students at the university were from racial or ethnic minority groups, and 50% were
female (Miami University, 2020). All participants self-identified as White, with one
person identifying as Hispanic/Latino. Six ESA owners had cats, and one had a guinea
pig, and the average length of time having an ESA was 2.2 years (SD = 1.5). The two
roommates identified as female and White, ages 19 and 22; one identified as Hispanic/
Latina, while the other identified as non-Hispanic.
Measures
During the focus groups and interviews, ESA owners were asked questions about how
they thought people at Miami University perceived ESAs, the benefits and disadvantages
of having one, and whether people interacted differently with them when they
had their ESA present. The ESA owner survey asked demographic questions (age, race,
ethnicity, gender identity, and class standing); how many years they had their ESA; the
number of hours devoted to the ESA (caring for needs and playing or bonding) each
week; what barriers they experienced in the process of seeking permission to have
an ESA (1 = yes); the frequency of difficulty in caring for the ESA while juggling academic
responsibilities (1 = never, 5 = always); the frequency of negative experiences
Volume 49, No. 2 * 2023 91

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