Stress-related Inflammation May Increase Risk for Depression

According to a recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, preexisting differences in the sensitivity of a key part of each individual’s immune system confer a greater risk of developing stress-related depression or anxiety. Previous studies have found depression and anxiety to be associated with elevated blood levels of inflammatory molecules and white blood cells after a confirmed diagnosis, but it has been unclear whether greater inflammation was present prior to the onset of disease or whether it is functionally related to depression symptomology. “Our data suggests that preexisting individual differences in the peripheral immune system predict and promote stress susceptibility,” said the study’s lead author. The study provides experimental evidence that the emotional response to stress can be generated or blocked in the periphery, offering the potential for new forms of treatment for stress disorders and may eventually inform therapeutic strategies to reengineer a patient’s immune system to reduce stress vulnerability. To read more about this study, click here.