Mysterious link between cats and schizophrenia is real, study finds
(SCIENCE ALERT) – Having a cat as a pet could potentially double a person's risk of schizophrenia-related disorders, according to a recent study. Australian researchers conducted an analysis of 17 studies published during the last 44 years, from 11 countries including the U.S. and the U.K. "We found an association between broadly defined cat ownership…
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(SCIENCE ALERT) – Having a cat as a pet could potentially double a person's risk of schizophrenia-related disorders, according to a recent study. Australian researchers conducted an analysis of 17 studies published during the last 44 years, from 11 countries including the U.S. and the U.K.
"We found an association between broadly defined cat ownership and increased odds of developing schizophrenia-related disorders," explained psychiatrist John McGrath and fellow researchers, all from the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, in their study published last December.
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. Studies have found that being around cats during childhood might make a person more likely to develop schizophrenia; however, not all studies have found an association.
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