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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/14263300
Having a cat as a pet could potentially double a person’s risk of schizophrenia-related disorders, according to a recent study.
This idea that cat ownership could be linked to schizophrenia risk was proposed in a 1995 study, with exposure to a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii suggested as a cause. But the research so far has put forth mixed conclusions.
A study in the US, which involved 354 psychology students, didn’t find a connection between owning a cat and schizotypy scores. However, those who had received a cat bite had higher scores when compared to those who had not.
Another study, which included people with and without mental disorders, discovered a connection between cat bites and higher scores on tests measuring particular psychological experiences. But they suggested other pathogens such as Pasteurella multocida may be responsible instead.
The researchers agree that better and broader research is needed before we can make any firm interpretations.
“In conclusion, our review provides support for an association between cat ownership and schizophrenia-related disorders,”
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From the article:
There are some important things to keep in mind here, like the fact that 15 of the 17 studies were case-control studies. This kind of research cannot prove cause and effect, and it often does not look at things that might have affected both the exposure and the outcome.
A number of the studies that were looked at were of low quality, which is something that the authors also highlight.
Findings were inconsistent across studies, but those of higher quality suggested that associations in unadjusted models might have been due to factors that could have influenced the results.
