Research shows that owning a cat doubles the risk of schizophrenia
Cat Ownership and Schizophrenia-Related Disorders and Psychotic-Like Experiences: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | Schizophrenia Bulletin | Oxford Academic
https://academic.oup.com/schizophreniabulletin/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/schbul/sbad168/7458104
Mysterious Link Between Owning Cats And Schizophrenia Is Real, Study Says : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/mysterious-link-between-owning-cats-and-schizophrenia-is-real-study-says
The theory that there is a link between owning cats and the risk of developing schizophrenia was proposed as early as 1995 , and it was suggested that the cause was a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii that lives in cats. I am.
Toxoplasma gondii can be transmitted to humans through cat bites or contact with feces, causing a disease called toxoplasmosis , but most people experience no symptoms or only a mild cold. It is estimated that approximately 40 million people in the United States are infected with Toxoplasma gondii, and it has been suggested that it may cause mental illness, but a clear causal relationship is unclear. Research has also reported that ``people infected with Toxoplasma gondii are more sexually attractive.''
Some studies have shown that spending time with cats during childhood increases the risk of schizophrenia, while others have reported that there is no relationship between owning a cat and the onset of schizophrenia. However, the relationship between cat ownership and schizophrenia is not clearly known.
A research team led by psychiatrist John McGrath from the Queensland Mental Health Research Center in Australia sought to better understand the relationship between cat ownership and schizophrenia, published between 1980 and 2023. We analyzed 17 studies.
The analysis found a significant positive correlation between cat ownership in a broad sense and an increased risk of schizophrenia-related diseases. The research team said, ``After adjusting for
The research team also noted that of the 17 studies reviewed this time, 15 were case-control studies that focused on subjects who developed a specific disease, and did not prove a causal relationship between the cause and the onset of the disease. Pointed out that this should be taken into account. It was also pointed out that many of the studies reviewed were of low quality and the results of individual studies were inconsistent.
'In conclusion, our general findings support a link between cat ownership and schizophrenia-related illnesses,' the research team said, while further clarifying the relationship between cat ownership and risk of mental illness. They argued that better understanding requires higher quality research based on large and broadly representative samples.
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