Cats and schizoprenia

[Sanman]

So, Google has decided to bring this to my attention:


Mysterious Link Between Owning Cats And Schizophrenia Is Real, Study Says

Any thoughts?

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[WisNeuro]

This article essentially says that the research on this is ****. That there may be something there, but there are conflicting studies, and some of the studies that do show an association are...pretty thin.

 

[DynamicDidactic]

"Real"

 

[Sanman]

This article essentially says that the research on this is ****. That there may be something there, but there are conflicting studies, and some of the studies that do show an association are...pretty thin.

On the other hand:
A. cats can be pretty psychotic themselves
B. Old cat ladies

 

[MAClinician]

Just because my cat and I meow back and forth and have an understanding of each other’s thoughts and feelings doesn’t mean I’m detached from reality. 😼😼😻

 

[PsychSupreme]

I do psychosis research. I was taught at one point that the proposed mechanism to explain the “tentative and small” link between cat ownership and schizophrenia is that toxoplasmosis is common in cat feces and that infection thereby may raise risk of chronic psychosis. I never followed any of the literature—it was more of a factoid and a “hey this is a cool but niche thing people are studying,” but I will say that this paper doesn’t come totally out of left field. That said, I think this supposed link is probably not very robust. A similar factoid in our subarea is that people born blind cannot develop schizophrenia, but I always point out to people that schizophrenia is already rare (0.5% or so) and being born blind *even more rare than that,* so the combinatorics work out to a very small percentage of folks who likely just haven’t been observed and written about.

 

[MCParent]

Louis Wain probably helped build the association in people’s minds a bit too.

 

[Sanman]

I do psychosis research. I was taught at one point that the proposed mechanism to explain the “tentative and small” link between cat ownership and schizophrenia is that toxoplasmosis is common in cat feces and that infection thereby may raise risk of chronic psychosis. I never followed any of the literature—it was more of a factoid and a “hey this is a cool but niche thing people are studying,” but I will say that this paper doesn’t come totally out of left field. That said, I think this supposed link is probably not very robust. A similar factoid in our subarea is that people born blind cannot develop schizophrenia, but I always point out to people that schizophrenia is already rare (0.5% or so) and being born blind *even more rare than that,* so the combinatorics work out to a very small percentage of folks who likely just haven’t been observed and written about.

Given the base rates of both (10% cat ownership vs <1% schizophrenia), I would need to see better data. I am also curious how well the data defines schizophrenia dx. I know a lot of people that fall into both camps but don't have schizophrenia (only a dx) because they require antipsychotics to manage dementia and old people get lonely.

 

[cara susanna]

"Yes we also saw that article in the Atlantic. And then we peed on the Atlantic."

 

[summerbabe]

So as a multi cat owner, does that mean my risk increases? Please advise.

 

[Sanman]

So as a multi cat owner, does that mean my risk increases? Please advise.

More than two? Perhaps a forgone conclusion. I had a friend growing up that had 7, he was afflicted with becoming a veterinarian instead.

 

[Ollie123]

Louis Wain probably helped build the association in people’s minds a bit too.

You are more cultured than I. My mental association comes from Eleanor Abernathy.

 

[smalltownpsych]

I am married to a crazy cat lady. She doesn’t meet criteria for schizophrenia; therefore, its not true. That’s the type of logic I would get when teaching research methods to undergrads.