Date of Award
Spring 2023
Document Type
Scholarly Project
Degree Name
Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)
Department
Physician Assistant Studies
First Advisor
Kauffman, Russell
Second Advisor
Stavetig, Mindy
Keywords
Depression, Major Depressive Disorder, Gut-Brain-Axis, Gut Microbiota, Probiotics
Abstract
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a crippling condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the staple treatment adjunct to psychotherapy. Recently, the connection between gut health, specifically the gut brain axis, has been researched to look at the connection between gut microbiota and it’s effect on depressive symptoms. A literature review was performed using electronic databases such as PubMed, PsychINFO, and embase. This meta-analysis evaluates the connection between gut microbiota and depression as well as the effectiveness of SSRI therapy on depression. Results show a significant change in gut microbiota with short term change to a Mediterranean diet (MD) compared to a Western diet (WD). This change in gut microbiota has also shown improvement in depressive symptoms. This analysis also found a link to degradation of the hypothalamus from certain gut bacteria found in a WD. SSRI therapy showed minimal improvement in depressive symptoms short term, with little increase in effectiveness long term.
Recommended Citation
Hetletved, Jenni, "The Effectiveness of the Gut-Brain-Axis versus SSRI for Treatment and Management of Depression" (2023). Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers. 165.
https://commons.und.edu/pas-grad-papers/165