Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Risk of mood disorders may develop before birth
By Staff Writer
The median age for the onset of major depressive disorder is 32, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. However, the results of a recent brain study reveal that the risk of mood disorders later in life may be linked to one's weight at birth.
In the study, which was conducted at the University of Southhampton and the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit at Southhampton General Hospital, researchers examined the neurological responses of 140 children between the ages of eight and nine.
They found that children who were born small with large placentas had more right-side brain activity. Past studies have linked these mental functions with mood disorders such as depression.
In addition, how a child grows before birth was shown to have an impact on their mental and physical health in adulthood, according to the researchers. Their findings are the first to link growth before birth with changes to the brain over time.
Researchers hope that these findings can held shed new light on mental health problems that can develop in adulthood, in addition to why certain people are more prone to depression.
If afflicted by depression, individuals may want to seek cognitive therapy from a mental health and drug rehab facility.
