Damp, Moldy Homes May Cause Depression

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Shenassa and his colleagues found that 57 percent of all the residents lived in homes that were free of dampness or mold, although the prevalence of mold varied greatly depending on region -- ranging from more than 80 percent in Portugal to a little more than 25 percent in Slovakia.

Meanwhile, nine percent of all residents were determined to be depressed. Women, the elderly and the unemployed were most likely to have depressive symptoms, while those living in crowded conditions also appeared to run a higher risk for depression.

But, even after accounting for such key mitigating factors, the researchers connected the dots and found that having mold in the home appeared to be associated with depression.

"Basically, the risk for depression went up about 40 percent among people who lived in moldy homes," said Shenassa. "And to the extent that there are the same types of mold in Europe as they are in the U.S., the results should also apply to U.S. households."

"But although we saw that there is more depression among people who live in moldy homes, we don't know which came first," Shenassa cautioned. "We think there are multiple pathways to depression So, we need to do more work."

Kelly A. Reynolds, a research microbiologist with the University of Arizona, described the study as "very interesting" but agreed that further research is needed.

"Knowing that the mold-health effects are long-term and chronic and sometimes cumulative means they [the study authors] might be very far from determining which is the chicken and the egg," she said. "So, although there's a lot of speculation, it's difficult to prove a mental health connection. But what we always tell people is that if you can smell or see mold in your house, there's really no reason to not get rid of it."

More information

For more on the health risks of mold, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.