Mold & Depression
Depression is a modern day plague, causing the suffering of millions. While the precise cause of an individual's depressive state is often complex and multifaceted, it is wise to be aware of triggers and warning signs. A new study has discovered a surprising connection between depression and an odd potential cause: mold.
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Mold Linked to Depression
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A study was recently conducted by Brown University epidemiologist Edmond Shenassa of over 6,000 European adults. This study found an unexpected link between people who suffer from depression and the presence of mold in their homes. The study did not seek to prove that mold caused depression, only that it was somehow connected to it. Exactly how is still under examination, though there is much speculation in the scientific community.
Lack of Control
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The study suggests that having mold inside a home in indicative of at least part of the unhappy circumstances under which residents live. People who live in moldy homes might be living there because they can't afford to live anywhere else, or because they believe they have no control over the quality of their housing. This frame of mind contributes both to mold and to depression. Furthermore, people who are depressed are often the least likely to combat mold, or any type of disorder, in their homes.
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Mold Triggers Health Problems
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The study also supposes that the presence of mold in a home can lead to the sorts of health problems also present in a depressed population. These problems include wheezing, fatigue and cold or throat illnesses. Constant poor health, even at a low-grade level, can be a contributing factor in depression.
Mold and Neurotoxins
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Whether or not mold contains toxic chemicals that directly cause depression is controversial. Although many molds are toxic, there is little research to support that those toxins inhibit brain function in just such a particular way as to cause depression. According to Pat Breysse, Director of Environmental Health Engineering at Johns Hopkins, "The biological link between mold and a neurotoxic effect that might lead to depression is very tenuous, in my opinion."
Bad Housing Leads to Depression
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The results of this study seem to say more about proper housing than about the neurological effects of mold. Mold is the result of bad environmental conditions, and sometimes the lack of effort to eradicate it. When the home is not a place of comfort and safety, those who dwell within it will feel the effects of that discomfort, often manifested as depression. According to Shenessa, ""What the study makes clear is the importance of housing as indicator of health, including mental health. Healthy homes can promote healthy lives."
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References
- Photo Credit mold on petrified wood image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
