A recent study revealed that a child’s future risk of depression and anxiety may be associated with their gut health.
According to research published in the Nature Communications, young children whose gut microbiomes contained certain bacteria were most likely to develop mood disorders as tweens.
The recent research connected early gut bacteria composition to differences in brain connectivity within emotion-related networks patterns later linked to mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Senior writer and chair of developmental psychology at UCLA Bridget Callaghan stated, “By linking early-life microbiome patterns with brain connectivity and later symptoms of anxiety and depression, our study provides early evidence that gut microbes could help shape mental health during the critical school-age years.”
These bacterial groups have also been linked to stress and mood disorders in adults.
For the study, scientists assessed data from 55 children in Singapore and gathered their stool samples at age 2, MRI scans at age 6, and behavioral surveys at age 7½.
Children with increased levels of Clostridiales and Lachnospiraceae bacteria faced more symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Researchers stressed the need for further studies to explore which specific bacterial species influence mood and whether the link is causal.
Callaghan further mentioned that understanding this relationship may lead to several new treatments via probiotics or dietary changes.
