There are some well-known hazards of kissing, like colds, mono and even herpes, but new research suggests locking lips with someone who has depression and anxiety could lead to you getting it, too. A new study finds that when one person has these conditions, they can easily transmit them to their partner through kissing, thanks to bacteria transfer.
Scientists tracked 268 newlywed couples, with one spouse who struggled with depression, anxiety and sleep issues, and one who didn’t.
- They both filled out surveys about their mental health and gave saliva samples that measure the stress hormone cortisol and oral bacteria swabs for DNA analysis.
- After six months, researchers found that the “healthy” spouses showed signs of depression, anxiety and sleep problems, but they weren’t as bad as their partners’.
- Their oral bacteria also changed, and partners’ microbiomes started to match each other in surprising ways.
- It all comes down to the cortisol, as anxiety and depression can trigger it to release, and high levels of cortisol can mess with the balance of bacteria in the mouth.
- Close contact, especially from kissing, can transfer those affected microbiomes from person to person.
- Women’s mental health was especially affected, they had even more increases in anxiety, depression and sleep challenges after six months.
While this doesn’t mean that kissing causes depression or anxiety, it does remind us how much what’s going on with our partners can affect us. There were some limitations to the study, like not controlling for underlying health conditions, diet and other lifestyle factors, so more research is needed to fully understand the connection.
Source: NY Post