Depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health problems arise when something goes wrong with brain function. What causes that malfunction is an open question. In some people, a serious infection or autoimmune disease could be the trigger.
A report published online in JAMA Psychiatry explores this hypothesis. Researchers turned to comprehensive Danish databases that include all Danes born in the country, each identified by a unique registration number. One of the databases stores health-related information, including records of hospitalizations. Among Danes born between 1945 and 1995, almost 92,000 had a mood disorder. Of these, 36,000 had suffered a severe infection or developed an autoimmune disease (such as type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, lupus, and the like) at some point before being diagnosed with the mood disorder.
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“A link between infection and depression and mood disorders is intriguing,” says Dr. Michael C. Miller, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a member of JAMA Psychiatry’s editorial board. “But it’s important to keep in mind that both infections and mood disorders are very common, making it difficult to tease out what causes what.”
He ticks off three possible explanations for the results:
* Severe infection and autoimmune disease may cause mood disorders.
* Mood disorders may create a susceptibility to infection or autoimmune disease.
* Mood disorders, severe infection, and autoimmune disorders may share common triggers.
Infection, autoimmune disease linked to depression - Harvard Health Publications
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