主讲人：Shun Wang, 西交利物浦大学

题目：When the Cure Harms: The Paradoxical Negative Impact of Pet Ownership on the Mental Well-being of Older Europeans

参与老师：余昌华、薛思帆

时间：2026年4月28日（周二）上午10:00-11:30（北京时间）

地点：承泽园245教室

摘要：

This study investigates the causal impact of pet ownership on the mental well-being of older Europeans. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and employing inverse probability weighted regression adjustment, we find a paradoxical negative average treatment effect. Pet ownership significantly increases depressive symptoms while lowering quality of life and life satisfaction. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that the adverse effects are concentrated among subgroups bearing greater caregiving burdens, including women, individuals responsible for household chores, and dog owners. By contrast, unmarried individuals and those living alone exhibit muted depressive effects, suggesting that pets function as compensatory social support in the absence of a co-residential partner. The effects are also pronounced among working-age adults and those without activity limitations, revealing that limited time and greater caregiving capacity amplify the psychological burden of pet ownership. Mechanism analysis further establishes that pet ownership significantly increases conflict with intimate family members (partners, children, and parents) while having no effect on conflict with non-family individuals, confirming that the stress process operates specifically within the household. These findings suggest that caregiving burdens and intrafamilial conflict outweigh the companionship benefits from pet ownership, leading to net adverse mental health effects among older adults.

主讲人介绍：

Dr. Shun Wang is a Senior Associate Professor at the International Business School Suzhou, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). He joined XJTLU in 2022, having previously served as a Professor at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management in Korea. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of British Columbia, as well as an M.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Business Administration from Peking University. Dr. Wang's research primarily focuses on subjective well-being, development, population, and health. His work has been published in journals such as Journal of Comparative Economics, Journal of Health Economics, Nature Human Behavior, and World Development. He currently serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Happiness Studies and the World Happiness Report, and as an Academic Editor of PLOS ONE. He has consulted for international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.