WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A group of scientists studied how mouth bacteria might affect mental health in newly married couples. They focused on 268 couples where one partner had insomnia and signs of anxiety and depression, while the other started mentally healthy.
The study, led by independent researcher Reza Rastmanesh, followed couples who had been married for about six months. The researchers gathered data about the couples between February and October 2024. The participants took mental health tests, gave saliva samples, and had their oral bacteria analyzed.
At the beginning, the healthy partners had normal results in mental health tests. But after six months living with their unwell spouses, their test scores showed higher levels of depression, anxiety, and poor sleep, although not as severe as their partners.
The researchers found that over time, the healthy spouses' oral microbiomes, which refer to the mix of bacteria in the mouth, started to resemble those of their affected partners. Using a special analysis method, the researchers noticed that bacteria such as Clostridia, Veillonella, Bacillus, and Lachnospiraceae became more common in both partners.
By the end of the study, the once-healthy partners showed more symptoms of depression and anxiety. This suggests that the mouth's bacteria may be involved in passing on mental health issues. The findings support the idea that people in close relationships can influence each other's health not just emotionally or socially, but possibly through shared bacteria.
Interestingly, the study also found that women were more affected by this. The stress hormone, cortisol, in women participants rose significantly from 11.3 to 20.8 nanograms per milliliter during the study period.
However, the researchers did note some limitations to the study. The mental health data came from self-reports, which may not always be accurate. Also, cortisol levels were only checked once in the morning, and samples of bacteria were only taken from the throat and tonsils, not the whole mouth.
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
