Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2019 Sep;32(5):381-387.
doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000525.

Accelerated aging in serious mental disorders

Francesco S Bersani  1   2 , Synthia H Mellon  3 , Victor I Reus  2 , Owen M Wolkowitz  2
Affiliations
Review

Accelerated aging in serious mental disorders

Francesco S Bersani et al. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2019 Sep.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Clinical, epidemiological, and biological evidence raises the possibility that serious mental disorders (SMDs) are associated with accelerated biological aging. To the extent this is true; SMDs should not simply be considered in terms of mental illness or brain dysfunction, but also as 'whole body' and multisystem illnesses, or else as conditions with significant somatic concomitants.

Recent findings: The concept of accelerated biological aging in SMDs is supported by reports of accelerated changes in certain biomarkers normally associated with the aging process.

Summary: We define and discuss several proposed biological aging markers that have been examined in SMDs, we review the most recent findings, and we conclude with opinions regarding the merits and meanings of these markers, their usefulness in understanding and treating SMDs, and remaining questions and future directions in this area of research.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Viron MJ, Stern TA: The impact of serious mental illness on health and healthcare. Psychosomatics 2010, 51:458–465. - PubMed

    1. Lindqvist D, Epel ES, Mellon SH, et al. : Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015, 55:333–364.

      -This article provides a comprehensive overview of telomere findings and mechanisms in psychiatric illnesses

    1. Muezzinler A, Zaineddin AK, Brenner H: A systematic review of leukocyte telomere length and age in adults. Ageing Res Rev 2013, 12:509–519. - PubMed
    1. Wang Q, Zhan Y, Pedersen NL, et al. : Telomere Length and All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev 2018, 48:11–20. - PubMed
    1. Darrow SM, Verhoeven JE, Revesz D, et al. : The Association Between Psychiatric Disorders and Telomere Length: A Meta-Analysis Involving 14,827 Persons. Psychosom Med 2016, 78:776–787. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types