Association of caffeine with psychiatric disorders
A recent study from the Cureus Journal of Medical Science showed that high levels of caffeine intake were associated with psychiatric disorders such as depression, sleep disorders and anxiety.
Many people, particularly students, consume excessive amounts of caffeine without realizing the impact it can have on their mental health.
“As caffeine is commonly consumed, our study showed that its intake was associated with depressive symptoms and higher levels of anxiety in college students,” said Dr. Raphael Bertasi, an internal medicine physician at Mayo Clinic.
The study produced a positive correlation between caffeine consumption and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 score, which indicates an individual’s level of anxiety by assigning scores of zero to three.
Study participants reported poor appetite or overeating, insomnia or oversleeping, and general feelings of depression and irritability. Many of the participants who expressed experiencing these problems also had a higher rate of caffeine intake per week.
Regular consumption of caffeine can lead to issues with dependency and addiction. Consuming one cup of coffee each day is within normal limits, but more than four cups, or 350 mg of caffeine, can lead to caffeine dependence.
Once the body becomes dependent on caffeine, it can experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, irritability, lack of energy, feelings of depression and trouble concentrating.
Students who heavily depend on caffeine are also more likely to struggle with sleep-related disorders such as insomnia and caffeine crashes.
Insomnia is a disorder that causes the body to stray away from a regular sleep pattern. It can hinder an individual from falling asleep, as well as make it difficult for them to go back to sleep after waking up. Insomnia can be extremely dangerous, as sleep is essential for the body to rest before starting each new day.
Although people consume caffeine to help them stay awake, overconsumption of caffeine can lead to a caffeine crash, in which a previously tired person crashes after consuming a moderate to high dose of caffeine. Symptoms of a caffeine crash include extreme exhaustion, the inability to concentrate and the inability to stay awake, despite having consumed a large amount of caffeine.
These sleep disorders can further lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression and cause an even higher dependency on caffeine.
A study from SLEEP found that chronic insomnia had increased associations with anxiety disorders and depression.
“Inside the brain, caffeine blocks adenosine receptors and interferes with circadian melatonin rhythms, delaying the onset of sleep,” said Danielle Pacheco, a staff writer of Sleep Foundation from the University of British Columbia.
The body’s natural response to adenosine binding to its receptors is a decrease in neural activity, followed by feelings of sleepiness. This response allows the body to facilitate a sleep pattern that helps the body rest.
However, when an individual consumes caffeine, the caffeine molecule will bind to the receptors rather than the adenosine, causing neural activity to speed up, which deters quality sleep.
“Caffeine is not inherently bad; however, each individual must consider dosages, times of consumption, and consider their mental health before developing such a habit,” said Kate Steinhorst, a writer from the University of Wisconsin.
