Social, psychological and biological factors interact to cause both mental and physical disease. Chronic low grade infl ammation is a risk factor for many conditions including atherosclerosis and its complications, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity and depression. The infl ammatory response is designed to protect against pathogenic micro-organisms but in the process some damage to our own tissues is inevitable. The process is complicated and is orchestrated by cytokines (intercellular messengers).

Bringing a child into the world causes a lot of upheaval and it is normal, after childbirth, to feel sometimes happy, sometimes sad and irritable. Soon after the birth of their child, the majority of women (about 80%) experience what is called the 3rd day syndrome, or “baby blues”. Postpartum depression is a much more serious disorder that occurs around the third week after delivery. Symptoms occur for weeks to months or more. Postpartum depression can occur in the first 12 months after delivery, but in the majority of cases it occurs in the first few weeks after birth. It is manifested by anxiety, insomnia and depressive symptoms. The treatment of postpartum depression is essentially psychotherapeutic although SSRIs are used. A new molecule, brexanolone, may change the prognosis.

Background: The emotional climate between mothers and their children is known to be a significant indicator for the development of childhood psychopathology. One index that allows measuring family-emotional climate is the expressed emotion measure (EE). Maternal mental strain is known to affect maternal EE, as it can shape the way a mother thinks about, and interacts with her child.

Background: The co-occurrence of multiple interacting medical and psychological disorders is extremely common. A significant association between allergic disease (ADz - e.g., asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic dermatitis) and depression has been reported. Objective: Path analysis models using cross-sectional data were constructed to evaluate the inter-relationships among underlying co-occurring factors known to impact depression in young adults. Method: 885 college students (21.80 ± 3.22 years old) completed an online survey assessing current ADz, sleep quality, pain/discomfort, Body Mass Index, stress, substance use, Internet addiction, physical activity, social support and depression. Results: Our findings suggest that ADz is only one of multiple factors modulating depression. Six factors had significant direct effects (all p < .05) on depression: female gender, sleep quality, pain/discomfort, stress, Internet addiction, and social support. ADz, Body Mass Index, and substance use had only indirect effects (all p < .05). Social support was associated with better sleep, less depression and less stress. Physical activity had no measurable effect on depression. Conclusions: This study is the first attempt to evaluate the complex interrelations between ADz, depression and co-occurring factors. The complex interactions between variables in the model highlight the need to study these factors conjointly. Future longitudinal studies are needed to determine the temporal order and to validate causal pathways.