Background

The immune system is thought to play a role in the development of mental health conditions such as depression and psychosis. While research has focused mainly on inflammation, much less is known about whether immune-regulating molecules in childhood are linked to later mental health risk.

Research

We measured immune-regulating proteins in blood samples from over 2,000 nine-year-olds in the ALSPAC birth cohort and followed them up at age 24. We found that higher childhood levels of two soluble proteins involved in immunoregulation, CD5 and CD6, were associated with a lower likelihood of depression and psychosis-spectrum outcomes in early adulthood.

Potential Impact

These findings suggest that early-life immune regulation may offer some protection against mental health difficulties later on. With further research, this could help identify children at risk and inform new preventative approaches targeting the immune system.