Many previous studies have highlighted the role of gut microbiota in the development of mental illness.
A new study suggests that people with mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and psychosis tend to have lower faecalibacterium and coprococcus. The faecalibacterium and coprococcus are two types of bacteria that have an anti-inflammatory effect within the gut.
It found a common, overlapping environment in the gut bacteria of people living with mental illnesses. People with these illnesses had higher levels of Eggerthella, a bacterium with proinflammatory effects.