Article Review: Mind and gut: associations between mood and gastrointestinal distress in children exposed to adversity

Article Review Callaghan, B. L., Fields, A., Gee, D. G., Gabard-Durham, L., Caldera, C., Humphreys, K. L., ... & Tottenham, N. (2020). Mind and gut: associations between mood and gastrointestinal distress in children exposed to adversity. Development and Psychopathology, 32(1), 309-328. Summary Mental and gastrointestinal disorders have high comorbidity. Scientists have used animal models to demonstrate that both conditions can be caused by early adversity such as parental deprivation. The interaction between the bacteria and the brain living within the microbiome or gastrointestinal system underlies the adversity–gastrointestinal–anxiety interactions. However, scientists have not investigated these links during human development. Studies have shown that mental and gastrointestinal issues are highly comorbid. Different studies have supported bidirectional links between gastrointestinal disorders and mental illness. Studies have shown that early life diversity can increase the risk for mental and gastrointestinal mental illness. Early adversity in humans is associated with an increase in bowel symptoms threefold. It is also associated with an increase in childhood anxiety. Previous adverse care experience increases gastrointestinal symptoms in youth. The adversities also affect neurobiology implicated in irritable bowel syndrome and effective responding. Methodology The study subjects were adolescents and children with a history of early adverse caregiving experiences and those raised by families with no records of adverse caregiving. The sample used a sample from two projects completed in the lab simultaneously. As the measures used in the study were collected across both projects, participants from both studies were included. In one of the projects, longitudinal imaging study participants were enrolled. The study aimed at...............................................