Re: Brown Study Finds Link Between Depression and Household M...

[Guest guest]

Well, finally someone is doing a study may be now some answers will solved

but it will probably take years to do more studies!! Anyone interested in

calling the Office of Media Relations mentioned in the last sentence? May be

some of us could be a part of their studies!!!

Sue

Brown Study Finds Link Between Depression and Household Mold

_http://www.brown.http://www.brownhttp://www.browhttp://www.http://w_

(http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2007-08/07-023.html)

August 29, 2007

Contact: Lawton

(401) 863-2476

" A groundbreaking public health study, led by Brown University

epidemiologist Edmond Shenassa, has found a connection between damp, moldy

homes and

depression. Results are published in the American Journal of Public Health " .

Brown University Home

Media Relations Home

2007-08 Release Index

e-Subscribe

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [brown University] — A groundbreaking public health study

has found a connection between damp, moldy homes and depression. The study,

led by Brown University epidemiologist Edmond Shenassa, is the largest

investigation of an association between mold and mood and is the first such

investigation conducted outside the United Kingdom.

Shenassa said the findings, published in the American Journal of Public

Health, came as a complete surprise. In fact, after a few U.K. studies

published

in the last decade had suggested a link, Shenassa and his skeptical team set

out to debunk the notion that any link existed.

“We thought that once we statistically accounted for factors that could

clearly contribute to depression – things like employment status and crowding

–

we would see any link vanish,†said Shenassa, the lead author of the study

and an associate professor in the Department of Community Health at Brown.

“But

the opposite was true. We found a solid association between depression and

living in a damp, moldy home.â€

Shenassa noted the study, an analysis of data from nearly 6,000 European

adults, does not prove that moldy homes cause depression. The study wasn’t

designed to draw that direct conclusion. However, Shenassa’s team did find a

connection, one likely driven by two factors. One factor is a perceived lack of

control over the housing environment. The other is mold-related health problems

such as wheezing, fatigue and a cold or throat illness.

“Physical health, and perceptions of control, are linked with an elevated

risk for depression,†Shenassa said, “and that makes sense. If you are sick

from mold, and feel you can’t get rid of it, it may affect your mental

health.â€

The study was a statistical analysis of data from the Large Analysis and

Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES), a survey on housing,

health and place of residence conducted in 2002 and 2003 by the World Health

Organization (WHO). To conduct the survey, WHO interviewers visited thousands

of

homes in eight European cities and asked residents a series of questions,

including if they had depressive symptoms such as decreased appetite, low

self-esteem, and sleep disturbances. WHO interviewers also made visual checks

of

each household, looking for spots on walls and ceilings that indicate mold.

Shenassa’s team analyzed LARES data from 5,882 adults in 2,982 households.

“What the study makes clear is the importance of housing as indicator of

health, including mental health,†Shenassa said. “Healthy homes can promote

healthy lives.â€

Shenassa and his team are conducting follow-up research to see if mold does,

indeed, directly cause depression. Shenassa said that given the results of

the current study, he wouldn’t be surprised if there is a cause-and-effect

association. Molds are toxins, and some research has indicated that these

toxins

can affect the nervous system or the immune system or impede the function of

the frontal cortex, the part of the brain that plays a part in impulse

control, memory, problem solving, sexual behavior, socialization and

spontaneity.

The research team includes Liebhaber, a former Brown undergraduate;

Constantine Daskalakis of Jefferson University; Matthias Braubach of

WHO; and Brown of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Editors: Brown University has a fiber link television studio available for

domestic and international live and taped interviews and maintains an ISDN

line for radio interviews. For more information, call the Office of Media

Relations at (401) 863-2476.

---------------------------------

Got a little couch potato?

Check out fun summer activities for kids.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at

http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

[Guest guest]

Sue, that would be great if there are a few of us that are close to them.

Darlene

ssr3351@... wrote:

Well, finally someone is doing a study may be now some answers will solved

but it will probably take years to do more studies!! Anyone interested in

calling the Office of Media Relations mentioned in the last sentence? May be

some of us could be a part of their studies!!!

Sue

Brown Study Finds Link Between Depression and Household Mold

_http://www.brown.http://www.brownhttp://www.browhttp://www.http://w_

(http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2007-08/07-023.html)

August 29, 2007

Contact: Lawton

(401) 863-2476

" A groundbreaking public health study, led by Brown University

epidemiologist Edmond Shenassa, has found a connection between damp, moldy

homes and

depression. Results are published in the American Journal of Public Health " .

Brown University Home

Media Relations Home

2007-08 Release Index

e-Subscribe

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [brown University] — A groundbreaking public health study

has found a connection between damp, moldy homes and depression. The study,

led by Brown University epidemiologist Edmond Shenassa, is the largest

investigation of an association between mold and mood and is the first such

investigation conducted outside the United Kingdom.

Shenassa said the findings, published in the American Journal of Public

Health, came as a complete surprise. In fact, after a few U.K. studies

published

in the last decade had suggested a link, Shenassa and his skeptical team set

out to debunk the notion that any link existed.

“We thought that once we statistically accounted for factors that could

clearly contribute to depression – things like employment status and

crowding –

we would see any link vanish,†said Shenassa, the lead author of the study

and an associate professor in the Department of Community Health at Brown.

“But

the opposite was true. We found a solid association between depression and

living in a damp, moldy home.â€

Shenassa noted the study, an analysis of data from nearly 6,000 European

adults, does not prove that moldy homes cause depression. The study wasn’t

designed to draw that direct conclusion. However, Shenassa’s team did find a

connection, one likely driven by two factors. One factor is a perceived lack

of

control over the housing environment. The other is mold-related health

problems

such as wheezing, fatigue and a cold or throat illness.

“Physical health, and perceptions of control, are linked with an elevated

risk for depression,†Shenassa said, “and that makes sense. If you are

sick

from mold, and feel you can’t get rid of it, it may affect your mental

health.â€

The study was a statistical analysis of data from the Large Analysis and

Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES), a survey on housing,

health and place of residence conducted in 2002 and 2003 by the World Health

Organization (WHO). To conduct the survey, WHO interviewers visited thousands

of

homes in eight European cities and asked residents a series of questions,

including if they had depressive symptoms such as decreased appetite, low

self-esteem, and sleep disturbances. WHO interviewers also made visual checks

of

each household, looking for spots on walls and ceilings that indicate mold.

Shenassa’s team analyzed LARES data from 5,882 adults in 2,982 households.

“What the study makes clear is the importance of housing as indicator of

health, including mental health,†Shenassa said. “Healthy homes can

promote

healthy lives.â€

Shenassa and his team are conducting follow-up research to see if mold does,

indeed, directly cause depression. Shenassa said that given the results of

the current study, he wouldn’t be surprised if there is a cause-and-effect

association. Molds are toxins, and some research has indicated that these

toxins

can affect the nervous system or the immune system or impede the function of

the frontal cortex, the part of the brain that plays a part in impulse

control, memory, problem solving, sexual behavior, socialization and

spontaneity.

The research team includes Liebhaber, a former Brown undergraduate;

Constantine Daskalakis of Jefferson University; Matthias Braubach of

WHO; and Brown of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Editors: Brown University has a fiber link television studio available for

domestic and international live and taped interviews and maintains an ISDN

line for radio interviews. For more information, call the Office of Media

Relations at (401) 863-2476.

---------------------------------

Got a little couch potato?

Check out fun summer activities for kids.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at

http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour