You can have any pet;

You don't have a pet.

Because keeping a pet has an impact on depression, just like whether tofu flower should be sweet or salty, there is no conclusion and it doesn't matter. ...

For depression, the most important thing is to receive treatment. Psychotherapy combined with drug therapy is more effective.

For example, studies have shown that for patients with persistent depression, about 50% of patients who only use drugs or psychotherapy have their depressive symptoms relieved; 85% of patients who took drugs and received psychotherapy at the same time had their depressive symptoms relieved (Keller et al., 2000).

However, so many people are concerned about this issue, probably because it seems easier and more acceptable to have a pet than to receive treatment. ...

One.

The relationship between keeping pets and mental health

You may think that the company of pets can make you less lonely, and sucking cats and dogs can bring you happiness and satisfaction. ...

There is also a popular word abroad called "pet effect", which holds that keeping pets can make people happier and healthier. It is often reported in the media that keeping pets is good for our body and mind, especially keeping dogs and cats.

The problem is that almost all the research on the influence of pets is to investigate the existing pet owners and non-pet owners in society, and then compare the data. This result can't determine the causal relationship between "keeping pets" and "people's physical and mental health". Because the truth may be:

Truth 1: Pets can improve our physical and mental health, so people who keep pets have better physical and mental health.

(This is what the "shovel officer" wants to hear most)

Truth 2: Healthy and happy people are more capable of taking care of pets, so people with better physical and mental health are more likely to become pet owners.

(Just like the sentence "Why does the parachute shop have zero bad reviews?" People who have the energy and interest in keeping pets may not be considered as depressed patients; Where can I have the energy and interest to keep a pet if I have no interest in severe depression? )

Truth 3: People with money and high social status have better physical and mental health and have more time, energy and financial resources to keep pets.

There is a common reason behind "keeping a pet" and "physical and mental health", that is, having money and status. My heart was pierced ...)

Two.

Large-scale research related to "pet effect"

For example, researchers at RAND Corporation surveyed 42,044 adults, which is the largest comprehensive health survey in the United States. In 2065,438+07, the researchers published the report of this large-scale study. They found that the health benefits brought by keeping pets are actually due to the differences in social and economic conditions between pet owners and non-pet owners.

Specifically, the overall health level of people with dogs and cats is slightly higher than that of people without pets.

However, if factors such as income, race and marital status are taken into account, this difference will disappear. For example, the rich are more likely to have pets than the poor. In short, there is no evidence that owning a pet itself has a positive impact on the overall health of the respondents.

The Rand team also found that the cognitive and mental health advantages of children with pets are entirely attributed to factors such as race and family wealth.

In other words, the health and psychological benefits of keeping pets are largely caused by differences in wealth and social class. If the differences in economic and social status are excluded, keeping pets has no obvious effect on physical and mental health.

Three.

Why do people believe in the "pet effect"?

The first is the vigorous advocacy of pet-related industries. The statement about the magical healing power of pets is largely "created" by the marketing departments of large pet products companies and their trading groups.

For example, in the United States, most of the funds for several important studies claiming that "keeping pets is good for health" are provided by Zoetis, the world's largest veterinary drug manufacturer. Zoetis (Chinese name is "Shuoteng") is one of the largest companies in the animal health medicine and vaccine industry in the world.

Zoetis declared: "Scientific evidence shows that pets can improve heart health, relieve depression, increase happiness, support children's health and development, promote healthy aging, and help treat a series of diseases, such as autism spectrum disorder, Alzheimer's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc."

However, the press releases issued by the pet-related industries will deliberately ignore or cover up the findings in the project research that do not meet their expectations. These pro-pet industry press releases never mention the scientific research that found that keeping pets was unhealthy. Considering the US$ 70 billion pet product industry, we can interpret what Zoetis called "scientific evidence" as clever advertisements.

Secondly, the public likes the news that "keeping pets is good for health", just as they like all kinds of popular health preservation methods. If it is simple, walking cats and dogs can cure all kinds of physical and mental diseases, and everyone wants it. ...

Therefore, the popularity of the concept of "keeping pets is good for health" is the result of the joint action of pet-related industries and the public.