Infections and severe mental illness: a population-based matched cohort study - Takeaways - MDSpire
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Acute Infections and Their Association with Severe Mental Illness: A Matched Cohort Analysis from a Population-Based Study

  • By

  • Sharon L Cadogan

  • Georgia R Gore-Langton

  • Kathryn E Mansfield

  • John Tazare

  • Seena Fazel

  • Ian J Douglas

  • Caroline Morton

  • Naaheed Mukadam

  • Charlotte Warren-Gash

  • May 27, 2026

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  • 1

    The study investigates the relationship between acute infections and the risk of severe mental illness (SMI) using UK electronic health records.

  • 2

    Six matched cohort studies were conducted, including adults with various acute infections and matched controls without infections.

  • 3

    Each type of infection was associated with increased SMI risk, with meningitis/encephalitis showing the highest hazard ratio of 3.36.

  • 4

    The cohorts ranged from over 2 million adults for skin and soft tissue infections to over 100,000 for meningitis/encephalitis.

  • 5

    Findings suggest that acute infections may elevate the risk of developing SMI, highlighting the need for further research in this area.

Original Source(s)

Infections and severe mental illness: a population-based matched cohort study

  • by Sharon L Cadogan, Georgia R Gore-Langton, Kathryn E Mansfield, John Tazare, Seena Fazel, Ian J Douglas, Caroline Morton, Naaheed Mukadam, Charlotte Warren-Gash

  • May 27, 2026

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