Submit your papersSubmit Now
For Enquiries: [email protected]
IIARD LogoIIARD

Gut Microbiota and Mental Health: Implications for Mental Health Nursing and Microbiological Research

Samuel Chinweuba Modeme, and Patience Erose Imhansuomon

Abstract

This review examines the connection between gut microbiota and mental health, highlighting its relevance to mental health nursing and microbiological research. The human gastrointestinal tract contains a diverse population of microorganisms that are essential for metabolic processes, immune function, and defense against pathogens. Increasing scientific evidence emphasizes the microbiota–gut–brain axis as a complex, bidirectional communication system linking the gut and the central nervous system through neural, hormonal, immune, and metabolic pathways. Imbalances in gut microbiota composition, known as dysbiosis, have been linked to various psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorders. These associations are mediated through mechanisms such as disrupted neurotransmitter synthesis, heightened inflammatory responses, immune dysregulation, and alterations in stress-response systems. The review further explores emerging microbiome-based interventions such as probiotics, prebiotics, symbiotic, and fecal microbiota transplantation, which demonstrate potential as supportive treatments in mental healthcare. For mental health nursing, incorporating knowledge of gut–brain interactions enhance holistic care, patient education, and collaborative practice. However, limitations such as inconsistent methodologies and insufficient causal evidence persist, underscoring the need for further longitudinal and experimental studies.

Keywords

Gut microbiotaMental healthGut–brain axisDysbiosisMicrobiome interventions

References

Arifuzzaman, M., Collins, N., Guo, C.-J., & Artis, D. (2024). Nutritional regulation of microbiota-derived metabolites: Implications for immunity and inflammation. Immunity, 57(1), 14–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2023.12.009 Association of gut-microbiome and mental health and effects of probiotics on psychiatric disorders: a meta-analysis and systematic review. (2025). PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40309529/ Clarke, G., Dinan, T. G., et al. (2023). The gut microbiome in social anxiety disorder: evidence of altered composition and function. Translational Psychiatry, 13(95). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02325-5 Cryan, J. F., O’Riordan, K. J., Cowan, C. S. M., Sandhu, K. V., Bastiaanssen, T. F. S., Boehme, M., Codagnone, M. G., Cussotto, S., Fulling, C., Golubeva, A. V., Guzzetta, K. E., Jaggar, M., Long-Smith, C. M., Lyte, J. M., Martin, J. A., Molinero-Perez, A., Moloney, G., Morelli, E., Morillas, E., O’Connor, R., ... Dinan, T. G. (2023). The microbiota–gut–brain axis. Physiological Reviews, 103(1), 417–492. Dinan, T. G., and Cryan, J. F. (2022). Regulation of the stress response by the gut microbiota: Implications for psychoneuroendocrinology. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 138, 105667. Frontiers in Psychology. (2023). Association between gut microbiota and psychiatric disorders: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1215674. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1215674 Góralczyk-Bińkowska, A., Szmajda-Krygier, D., & Kozłowska, E. (2022). The microbiota–gut– brain axis in psychiatric disorders. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(19), 11245. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911245 Israel, A. A., Adeniyi, G. P., & Adeniyi, B. A. (2025). Gut microbiota diversity and mental health conditions: a systematic review. Microbial Health and Disease, 7, e1345. https://doi.org/10.26355/mhd_20259_1345 Jiang, H., Xu, Z., & Liu, X. (2024). Vagus nerve signaling in the microbiota–gut–brain axis: Mechanisms and implications. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 18, 1164785. Johnson, K. V. A., Foster, K. R., and others. (2022). Why does the microbiome affect behaviour? Nature Reviews Microbiology, 20(7), 413–428. Li, J., Fan, C., Wang, J., Tang, B., Cao, J., Hu, X., Zhao, X., & Feng, C. (2024). Association between gut microbiota and anxiety disorders: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study. BMC Psychiatry, 24(398). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024- 05824-x Li, N., Chen, H., Cheng, Y., Xu, F., Ruan, G., Ying, S., and others. (2022). Fecal microbiota transplantation relieves gastrointestinal and autism symptoms by improving the gut microbiota in children with autism spectrum disorder. Engineering, 15, 112–120. Liu, R. T., Walsh, R. F. L., and Sheehan, A. E. (2023). Prebiotics and probiotics for depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 145, 105022. Ross, F. C., Patangia, D., Grimaud, G., Lavelle, A., Dempsey, E. M., Stanton, C., & Ross, R. P. (2024). The interplay between diet and the gut microbiome: Implications for health and disease. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 22, 671–686. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-024- 01068-4 Simpson, C. A., Diaz-Arteche, C., Eliby, D., Schwartz, O. S., Simmons, J. G., and Cowan, C. S. M. (2022). The gut microbiota in anxiety and depression – A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 83, 101943. Šimunović Filipčić, I., Kolčić, I., Grošić, V., & Filipčić, I. (2025). The role of gut microbiota in psychiatric disorders: Current findings. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 38(5), 327–333. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000001019 Tian, Y., Zhang, Y., Wang, R., & Li, H. (2025). Immune modulation by the gut microbiota: Implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 109, 112–124. Verma, S., Singh, R., & Kumar, P. (2024). The gut–brain axis: Mechanisms, microbial metabolites, and mental health. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 27(3), 173–182. Wang, F., Zhao, X., & Li, T. (2024). Endocrine regulation in the microbiota–gut–brain axis and its role in stress response. Neuroscience Letters, 822, 137346. Wang, I.-C., Buffington, S. A., & Salas, R. (2024). Microbiota–gut–brain axis in psychiatry: focus on depressive disorders. Current Epidemiology Reports, 11(4), 222–232. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40471-024-00349-z Zhang, T., Guo, F., Zhang, C., & Xiang, Y. (2025). Decoding the role of gut mycobiota in immune regulation and disease. Pathogens & Disease, 16(1), 2541704. https://doi.org/10.1080/21505594.2025.2541704 Zhang, X., Li, Q., Chen, L., & Liu, Y. (2024). Integrated analysis supports the role of microbiome– gut–brain crosstalk in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin Open, 5(1), sgae026. Zhang, Y., Li, N., Chen, T., Zhang, Z., Wang, Z., & Zhao, Y. (2023). The microbiota–gut–brain axis in the pathogenesis of depression: A narrative review. Physiology & Behavior, 260, 114056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.114056 Zhao, Y., Li, N., Zhang, H., & Wu, J. (2025). Microbial metabolites and neurotransmitters in gut– brain communication. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1197842. Zhu, F., Ju, Y., Wang, W., Wang, Q., Guo, R., Ma, Q., and others. (2023). Metagenome-wide association of gut microbiome features for schizophrenia. Nature Communications, 14, 3460.

More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH

Influence of Health Information Data Quality on Decision-Making Among Healthcare Professionals in Tertiary Hospitals in Bayelsa State

Author: Lucky Ebiteinye Dogiye, Kalada Godson McFubara, Idawarifa Frank Cookey-Gam, Lucky Ebiteinye Dogiye

Spatial Proximity, Household Vulnerability and Health Effects of Informal Solid-Waste Disposal in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State

Author: Gospel Chimenma Dimkpa, Priscilia Nyekpunwo Ogbonda, Cookeygam Idawarifa, Frank, Sogbeye Tonye Geroge, Dominic Joshua Osondu, Bapakaye Ibifuro Kemmer, Corresponding Author

“Prevalence of Food and Water Borne Disease in Yelwa Bauchi”

Author: Garba Rukayya Abubakar, Maryam Idris Muhammad, Jamila Sulaiman Dauda dauda, Nusaiba Muhammad, Bature, Fatima Muhammad Gadauji, Najaatu Musa

Scheme and Execution of Health Care Monitoring System

Author: Professor Innime Righteous Thompson Salvation Chinezom

The Setbacks of Effectual Conversation Between Health Information Officers and Patients

Author: Professor Innime Righteous Thompson Salvation Chinezom