Studies suggest that high levels of insulin in childhood are at risk for later mental health problems

Researchers led by the University of Cambridge use a sample of more than 10,000 people to see how childhood insulin levels and body mass index (BMI) are associated with depression and psychosis in young adulthood. I studied.

They found that persistently high insulin levels from mid-childhood were associated with an increased likelihood of developing psychosis in adulthood. In addition, they found that an increase in BMI before and after the onset of puberty was associated with an increased likelihood of developing depression in adulthood, especially in girls. After adjusting for various other possible factors, the results were consistent.

Findings reported in the journal JAMAPsychiatry suggest that early signs of the onset of physical health problems may exist long before the onset of psychotic or depressive symptoms, physical and mental illness. Shows that the association is more complex than previously thought.

However, researchers predict that these risk factors are in many, both genetically and environmentally, and their results predict that these physical health measures alone may lead to adult mental illness. Warn that it does not suggest that you can.

Researchers recommend that healthcare professionals perform a strong physical assessment of young people with symptoms of psychosis or depression to enable early diagnosis and treatment of early signs of physical illness. I have. It is sufficient for people with depression and mental illness to have a life expectancy of up to 20 years shorter than the general population, as physical health problems such as diabetes and obesity are predominant in adults with these mental disorders. Has been established in.

It is already known that adult mental illness and depression are associated with a significantly higher rate of diabetes and obesity than the general population, but these associations are often due to the symptoms of the mental illness itself. ..

“The general assumption so far is that some people with mental illness or depression are likely to have poor diet and low levels of exercise, so physical health problems are mental illness. Or the result of treatment, “said Dr. Benjamin Perry, lead author of Cambridge Psychiatry. “In essence, the accepted wisdom is that mental illness comes first, but it turns out that this is not always the case. For some individuals, the opposite is also true, detected from childhood. It suggests that possible physical health problems may be risk factors for adult mental illness and depression. “

Perry and his colleagues use data from the Avon Parent-Child Longitudinal Study (ALSPAC), a long-term population representative birth cohort study set up in western England, to detect insulin level disturbances long ago in childhood. discovered. Onset of psychosis. It suggests that people with mental illness may be more likely to develop diabetes.

They use statistical methods to group individuals based on the trajectory of similar changes in insulin levels and BMI between the ages of 1 and 24, and how different groups are at risk of depression and psychosis in adulthood. I checked if it was related. About 75% of study participants showed normal insulin levels, 15% to 18% showed gradual increase in insulin levels during adolescence, and about 3% showed relatively high insulin levels. This third group was more likely to develop psychosis in adulthood than the average group.

Researchers did not find that the risk of depression in adulthood was significantly increased in groups with persistently high BMI from childhood to adolescence. Instead, it suggests that certain factors before and after puberty can cause an increase in BMI. An important risk factor for depression in adulthood. Researchers were unable to determine what those factors were in their research, and future research will be needed to find them. These factors may be important goals for reducing the risk of depression in adulthood.

“These findings are important to remind all young people with mental health problems that they need to provide a complete and comprehensive assessment of their physical health in parallel with their mental health. “Perry says. “Early intervention is the best way to reduce the mortality gap that people with mental illness, such as depression and mental illness, face sadness.

“The next step is to find out exactly why persistently high insulin levels from childhood increase the risk of adult psychosis and why increased BMI before and after puberty increases the risk of adult depression. That is, doing so opens the door to better preventative measures and the potential for new treatment goals. “

reference:

Benjamin I. Perry et al. “Insulin Levels from Childhood and Longitudinal Trends in BMI and the Relationship between Psychosis and Depression Risk in Young Adults”. JAMA Psychiatry (2021). DOI: 10.1001 / jamapsychiatry.2020.4180