Autoimmune disease may almost double risk of mental ill health, study suggests

The autoimmune conditions researchers looked at included rheumatoid arthritis, Graves’ syndrome (thyroid hormone disorder), inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis Photograph: Alamy/PA

Living with an autoimmune disease may almost double the risk of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, a study suggests.

The link may be explained by the chronic exposure to systemic inflammation that the autoimmune disease causes, researchers at the University of Edinburgh said.