Intestinal microbiome and maternal mental health: preventing parental stress and enhancing resilience in mothers

The number of mothers suffering from mental illness is increasing, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. Identifying factors that contribute to resilience in mothers is urgently needed to reduce risks of poor physical and psychological health. Focusing on nonclinical mothers, the authors conducted two studies to examine relationships between intestinal microbiota, physical condition, and psychological state, emphasizing parenting stress risk and psychological resilience. Results showed that alpha and beta diversity of the microbiome were related to high parenting stress risk. Psychological resilience and physical conditions were associated with relative abundances of the genera Blautia, Clostridium, and Eggerthella. These findings advance understanding of gut-brain axis mechanisms and support proposals for enhancing resilience in mothers.

Michiko Matsunaga, Mariko Takeuchi, Satoshi Watanabe, Aya K. Takeda, Takefumi Kikusui, Kazutaka Mogi, Miho Nagasawa, Keisuke Hagihara, Masako Myowa