Mechanistic pathways of the effects of human-animal interaction on depression and psychosocial stress

摘要 抑郁症使人衰弱，代价高昂，并且非常普遍，是健康状况不佳的主要原因， 全世界的残疾人。大多数美国家庭都养宠物。宠物提供了一种情感来源 支持和先前的研究表明，它们可能有助于缓解抑郁，焦虑和压力。 然而，建立因果关系或探索机制途径的纵向研究， 仍然缺乏。本提案旨在解决PAR-18-213，“人-动物相互作用（HAI）” 这项研究是首次纵向研究家中宠物对抑郁症的影响 和心理困扰，并通过研究压力生物标志物来探索潜在的途径。 （唾液皮质醇-DHEA比率）以及肠道微生物组的直接和介导作用， 代谢组在这些协会。我们将利用三项正在进行的大型人群研究- 护士健康研究2（NHS 2，n= 116，430），NHS 3（n= 47，435）和今日成长研究 1996年入学时9-14岁的NHS 2级妇女的12，413名儿童（88%） 宠物）。通过两年一次的随访，他们提供了丰富的反复评估的生活方式，环境， 和心理社会评估，以便在我们的分析中精细控制其潜在的混淆。 我们的主要研究目标包括从35，000名参与者中持续收集粪便样本， NHS 2，我们将在收集粪便后跟踪抑郁症，包括400名有/没有宠物的妇女 以及当前应用中的偶发抑郁症。此外，226名NHS 2参与者的子队列 (62%）收集详细的、重复的心理社会评估，包括关于宠物的信息。 依恋，宠物主人的个性维度，压力生物标志物以及参与者的肠道 微生物组;因此，我们利用这些微生物组数据，无需额外费用。此外，嵌入 NHS 3，我们将启动一项纵向的“护士宠物研究”（Nurses' Pets Study）， 对未来的HAI研究进行随访。 我们的主要假设是，宠物所有权/依恋降低了抑郁症的风险， 心理困扰，主要途径包括改善皮质醇-脱氢表雄酮比率， 肠道微生物组的改变，为新的治疗方法和证据提供了可能性- 关于将宠物引入家中的基本建议。

ABSTRACT Depression is debilitating, costly, and highly prevalent, representing the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. A majority of US households includes pets. Pets offer a source of emotional support and previous research has shown that they may help ease depression, anxiety, and stress. However, longitudinal studies to establish causal relationships or explore mechanistic pathways are still lacking. The objective of this proposal addressing PAR-18-213, ‘Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) Research’, is to, for the first time longitudinally, examine the effects of pets in the home on depression and psychological distress in humans, and to explore potential pathways by studying stress biomarkers (salivary cortisol-DHEA ratio) and the direct and mediating effects of the gut microbiome and metabolome in these associations. We will leverage three ongoing large population-based studies – the Nurses’ Health Study 2 (NHS2, n=116,430), NHS3 (n=47,435), and the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), 12,413 children of the NHS2 women, who were 9-14 years old at enrollment in 1996 (88% with pets). With biennial follow-up, they offer a wealth of repeatedly assessed lifestyle, environmental, and psychosocial assessments allowing to finely control for their potential confounding in our analyses. Our primary study aims include an ongoing collection of stool samples from 35,000 participants in the NHS2, who we will follow after stool collection for depression to include 400 women with/without pets and incident depression in the current application. In addition, a subcohort of 226 NHS2 participants (62% with pet) collected detailed, repeated psychosocial assessments including information on pet attachment, pet owner’s personality dimensions, and stress biomarkers as well as participants’ gut microbiome; thus, we leverage these microbiome data at no additional cost. Further, embedded in NHS3, we will initiate a longitudinal ‘Nurses’ Pets Study’ (NPS), enrolling pets of nurses into active follow-up for future HAI studies. Our chief hypotheses are that pet ownership/attachment reduces risk of incident depression and psychological distress, and that primary pathways include an improved cortisol-DHEA ratio and alterations in the gut microbiome, offering the potential for new therapeutic approaches and evidence- based advice regarding the introduction of a pet into one’s home.