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Mold causes depression?
(December
2007 Issue)
By Ami Albernaz
Household mold might be a downer, but can it actually lead to depression?
A research team led by a Brown University epidemiologist is investigating
this question after finding that the fungus and the blues are linked.
Edmond Shenassa, Sc.D., and his colleagues looked at data on household
conditions and mental health from nearly 6,000 European adults in
eight European cities. After controlling for factors including employment
status, crowding, age and gender, the team found that participants
who lived in damp, moldy homes were around 40 percent more likely
to report symptoms of depression.
This finding, of course, does not mean that mold causes depression,
as Shenassa pointed out. In a Brown University press release about
the research, he says mediating factors like mold-induced respiratory
problems or lack of perceived control over one's environment might
be at play.
"Physical health, and perceptions of control are linked with an
elevated risk for depression and that makes sense," Shenassa says
in the release. "If you are sick from mold and feel you can't get
rid of it, it may affect your mental health."
The mold-depression link has been talked about for some time among
researchers in the United Kingdom. While the local psychologists
that New England Psychologist spoke with had not heard of the link,
a relationship was not difficult for some to imagine.
"There may be a link between mold and depression in both directions
- mold could predispose someone to getting depressed because the
perceived lack of control in the environment and in the other direction
- someone who is depressed is unlikely to take active steps to deal
with the problem," says Boston psychologist Kenneth Kraft, Ph.D.
Depressed people tend to take poorer care of themselves than non-depressed
people and are less likely to take the pro-active approach required
to fixing a mold problem, he adds. At the same time, the possible
ill effects of a mold problem can lead to feelings of helplessness,
particularly among those who are already depressed.
"In other words, this is a potential escalating cycle," Kraft says.
"The depression feeds on itself as the individual does not take
care of the problem, which as it gets worse, negatively affects
their health and sense of hopefulness, leading to more depression
and less likelihood of addressing the problem."
The prospect of a direct causal relationship as the research team
is now investigating, however, raised skepticism. "Do I think mold
causes depression? Absolutely not," says Patricia Jette, Ph.D.,
a psychologist in Hyde Park, Mass. "There are just so many factors
related to depression. I would be very surprised if this is true."
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