Predicting Depressive Symptoms and Psychological Distress by Circulating Inflammatory Mediators: A 16-Month Prospective Study in Japanese White-Collar Employees (April 2025)-Predicting Depressive Symptoms and Psychological Distress by Circulating Inflammatory Mediators: A 16-Month Prospective Study in Japanese White-Collar Employees

Predicting Depressive Symptoms and Psychological Distress by Circulating Inflammatory Mediators: A 16-Month Prospective Study in Japanese White-Collar Employees

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This study investigated the relationship between circulating inflammatory mediators and depressive symptoms and psychological distress in Japanese white-collar workers over 16 months, while considering sex differences. Conducted on 104 nondepressed individuals (61 men and 43 women), it utilized the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) to assess psychological distress and its correlation with inflammatory biomarkers like interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α).<br /><br />In men, a lower IFN-γ was found to predict an increase in both CES-D and K6 scores, while higher TNF-α predicted an increase in K6 scores. Conversely, in women, a higher IFN-γ predicted an increase in the CES-D score. Notably, psychological measures did not predict inflammatory mediators at follow-up, suggesting the precedence of inflammatory activation before the onset of depression/distress with distinctive sex variations.<br /><br />The outcomes emphasize that inflammatory responses, perhaps differentially activated between sexes, could play a pivotal role in the development of depression and psychological distress. These findings align with some previous studies that have noted differing inflammatory profiles in response to depressive symptoms based on sex. The research underscores the necessity for objective, biologically relevant indicators to identify and preemptively treat potential cases of depression in the workplace, particularly significant in Japan due to increasing mental health issues.<br /><br />Despite its insights, the study acknowledges limitations including its small sample size and the single follow-up period. The authors suggest further exploration into mechanistic causal pathways linking depression/distress and inflammatory responses to better understand and manage these mental health challenges effectively.

Keywords

inflammatory mediators

depressive symptoms

psychological distress

Japanese workers

sex differences

CES-D scale

K6 scale

interferon gamma

tumor necrosis factor-alpha

mental health