Are pet owners happier and longer-lived?

Contrary to what was thought until now, owning a pet could not make its owners happier, healthier or longer-lived , according to an investigation carried out by a psychologist at the University of Western Carolina (USA). Harold Herzog, who concludes that, at the moment, there is no compelling evidence to demonstrate these benefits.

In a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science , Herzog points out that the research carried out so far on pet owners has shown conflicting results : while studies suggest that having animals in the home can help combat depression or hypertension, others conclude that the presence of animals at home does not improve health, and may even worsen it.

In Herzog's view, the cause of these contradictions is that studies on pet owners frequently have methodological problems, such as relying on small and homogeneous samples, lack of adequate control groups or the use of the opinions of the participants to assess your health. " It is entirely possible that our pets produce us medical and physiological benefits , but we do not know how strong this effect is, in what type of people it works and what are the biological mechanisms that explain it," says the researcher, who urges scientists to carry out more rigorous studies on the matter .