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Cat ownership not linked to mental health problems, study says
Source: CNN
Cat ownership not linked to mental health problems, study says
By Johanzynn Gatewood, CNN
Updated 0009 GMT (0809 HKT) February 22, 2017
(CNN) - Studies have suggested that cat ownership could be linked to certain mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, but researchers at University College London say they found no link between cat ownership and the development of psychotic symptoms.
Published in the medical journal Psychological Medicine, the new study is the first to prospectively look at childhood cat ownership and the infection of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii as a risk factor for psychosis.
House cats are known to be the primary host of T. gondii, which infects various warm-blooded animals (including humans) and causes a disease called toxoplasmosis.
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The new study looked at nearly 5,000 people in the United Kingdom who were born between 1991 and 1992 and followed them until the age of 18. The researchers used birth information to determine whether households had cats when the mothers were pregnant and when the children were growing up. At ages 13 and 18 years, the children were brought into clinics to be evaluated for psychotic-like symptoms.
After controlling for potential confounding factors, the study concluded that cat ownership in pregnancy and childhood did not play a role in developing psychotic symptoms during adolescence.
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By Johanzynn Gatewood, CNN
Updated 0009 GMT (0809 HKT) February 22, 2017
(CNN) - Studies have suggested that cat ownership could be linked to certain mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, but researchers at University College London say they found no link between cat ownership and the development of psychotic symptoms.
Published in the medical journal Psychological Medicine, the new study is the first to prospectively look at childhood cat ownership and the infection of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii as a risk factor for psychosis.
House cats are known to be the primary host of T. gondii, which infects various warm-blooded animals (including humans) and causes a disease called toxoplasmosis.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
The new study looked at nearly 5,000 people in the United Kingdom who were born between 1991 and 1992 and followed them until the age of 18. The researchers used birth information to determine whether households had cats when the mothers were pregnant and when the children were growing up. At ages 13 and 18 years, the children were brought into clinics to be evaluated for psychotic-like symptoms.
After controlling for potential confounding factors, the study concluded that cat ownership in pregnancy and childhood did not play a role in developing psychotic symptoms during adolescence.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/21/health/cat-ownership-mental-health-study/
8 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
No researchers can be infected! 
"The message for cat owners is clear: there is no evidence that cats pose a risk to children's mental health," Solmi said in a news release. "In our study, initial unadjusted analyses suggested a small link between cat ownership and psychotic symptoms at age 13, but this turned out to be due to other factors."
She added, "Once we controlled for factors such as household over-crowding and socioeconomic status, the data showed that cats were not to blame. Previous studies reporting links between cat ownership and psychosis simply failed to adequately control for other possible explanations."
Although the study did not measure T. gondii exposure directly, the results do suggest that if the parasite causes psychiatric problems, cat ownership does not significantly increase exposure.
She added, "Once we controlled for factors such as household over-crowding and socioeconomic status, the data showed that cats were not to blame. Previous studies reporting links between cat ownership and psychosis simply failed to adequately control for other possible explanations."
Although the study did not measure T. gondii exposure directly, the results do suggest that if the parasite causes psychiatric problems, cat ownership does not significantly increase exposure.
Oh, yes! Eliminate the study results?
Solmi says she is relieved at the results of her study. "Many people own cats, and it's reassuring that our findings suggest that cat ownership is not associated with an increased risk of mental illness, as previously suggested."
Really?
