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Background: Nowadays, many Iranian families, depending on the family members’ level of interest, tend to keep pet animals. Psychological studies have rarely dealt with the impact of pets on family performance and individuals’ mental health. The purpose of this study was to compare family performance and mental health in individuals who own pets and those who do not. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 152 participants (80 pet keeping and 72 non-pet keeping) living in Isfahan were selected through stratified random sampling and completed Family Assessment Device (FAD), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and a demographic questionnaire. Data analysis was done through multivariate regression and covariance analysis. Results: The results indicated significant differences between the pet keeping and non-pet keeping groups in terms of anxiety, sleep disorders, relationships, and emotional involvement therefore, it can be concluded that non-pet keeping individuals have more anxiety and sleep disorder symptoms, whereas pet keeping individuals present more problems in terms of emotional involvement and their relationships(p<0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, it is suggested that in keeping pets, greater attention should be to cultural factors. Also, in some circumstances keeping pets should be recommended for reduction of anxiety and elevation of sense of security and relaxation.

Keywords: Family performance, Mental health, Pet

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