A large UK study has found that people living with autoimmune diseases are nearly twice as likely to experience long-term mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. The research, published in BMJ Mental Health, suggests this link may be due to long-term inflammation in the body caused by these diseases. The risk is especially high for women.
Autoimmune diseases happen when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues. Common autoimmune conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, Graves’ disease (a thyroid problem), and inflammatory bowel disease. These illnesses are often lifelong and can cause pain, fatigue, and other symptoms that interfere with daily life.
Scientists have suspected for a while that chronic inflammation might also be connected to mental health conditions. However, earlier research often relied on small groups of people, making the results less reliable. This new study aimed to fix that by analyzing data from a massive group—1.5 million adults in the UK—who joined a research program called “Our Future Health.”
Participants in the study had an average age of 53, and more than half were women. They answered questions about their health history, including whether they or their parents had been diagnosed with mental health or autoimmune conditions.
Among the participants, nearly 38,000 reported having an autoimmune disease. These people were more likely to be women (almost 75% compared to 56% in the general group) and more likely to have parents who had mental health problems.
For example, 15.5% of women with autoimmune disease said their mothers had a history of affective disorders, compared to 11% of those without autoimmune disease.
The study found that nearly 30% of people with an autoimmune disease had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder at some point, compared to 18% of people without one. For depression, the rates were about 25.5% versus 15%.
For anxiety, it was just over 21% versus 12.5%. Even though bipolar disorder was much less common, it was still more frequent in people with autoimmune conditions—about 1% compared to 0.5%.
Current symptoms of depression and anxiety were also more common in people with autoimmune diseases. Women, in particular, were at greater risk. About 32% of women with an autoimmune disease had a history of mental health problems, compared to 21% of men with the same diseases.
The researchers believe that long-term inflammation may be affecting the brain and leading to these mental health challenges. They also suggest that women may have stronger immune responses that could make them more vulnerable to both autoimmune diseases and mental health issues. Hormones, genes, and differences in immune system chemicals may help explain this pattern.
Importantly, the study showed that the increased risk of mental health conditions remained even after accounting for age, income, and family history of mental illness. This strengthens the case that autoimmune disease itself may be an important factor in mental health risk.
However, there were limitations. The study did not track when the autoimmune disease or the mental health problems began, so it’s unclear which came first. It also did not directly measure levels of inflammation in the body, which means the researchers could not confirm exactly how inflammation affects mental health.
Still, this research highlights an important link between physical and mental health. It suggests that doctors and health systems should pay closer attention to the mental health of people with autoimmune conditions—especially women. Early screening and support could help reduce the emotional burden for these patients.
The study concludes that future research should explore how pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and loneliness might also contribute to mental health issues in people with autoimmune diseases. Finding and addressing these causes may help improve both their physical and emotional wellbeing.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and 6 foods you can eat to improve mental health.
For more mental health information, please see recent studies about top foods to tame your stress, and Omega-3 fats may help reduce depression.
The study findings can be found in BMJ Mental Health.
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