Is anxiety and depression transmissible? Depressed mother rats transmit anxiety- and depression-like phenotypes to cohabited rat pups through gut microbiota assimilation.

These data together support that depressed mothers can transmit anxiety/depression to their pups through gut microbiota assimilation, which is related to frequent interactions. Our study reinforces the significance of mental health of mothers in preventing the occurrence of childhood anxiety and depression, and pointing out the possibility of remodeling intestinal microbiota as an effective therapeutic approach for treating anxiety/depression in children.