The role of the brain-gut-microbiota axis in psychology: The importance of considering gut microbiota in the development, perpetuation, and treatment of psychological disorders

Since the prevalence of psychological disorders are not decreasing despite the rise in pharmacological treatments, Ganci et al. (2019) aimed to enhance their understanding of the precise role of gut microbiota (GM) in psychological illness (since it represents an attractive target for novel interventions) by closely examining the relevant literature. This paper found that gut microbiota may directly and indirectly influence mood, cognition, and behavior, which are key components of mental health, and outlined how GM may be implicated in psychological disorders from etiology through to treatment and prevention using the Four P model of case formulation. The writers believed a significant paradigm shift in the whole discipline of psychology would be needed to integrate GM into the conceptualization and treatment of psychological illness. While its importance in psychological well-being must be respected, GM is by no means a route to panacea but an additional arm to a multidisciplinary approach to treatment and prevention. [NPID: microbiome, gut-brain axis, gut microbiota, gut bacteria, gastrointestinal tract, digestion, mood, behavior, cognition]

Year: 2019

Reference: Ganci, M., Suleyman, E., Butt, H., & Ball, M. (2019). The role of the brain-gut-microbiota axis in psychology: The importance of considering gut microbiota in the development, perpetuation, and treatment of psychological disorders. Brain and behavior, 9(11), e01408. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.1408