Chronic inflammation in the bloodstream can “fan the flames” of depression, much like throwing gasoline on a fire, according to researchers.
The study, which appears in the American Journal of Psychiatry, reviews 200 existing papers on depression and inflammation.
“One thing that we’re particularly interested in is how stress affects the immune system, which in turn affects diseases and mental health outcomes, the focus of this paper,” says coauthor Christopher Fagundes, an assistant professor of psychology at Rice University.