Associations of trace metal with depression: NHANES 2017-2018

In an analysis of NHANES 2017-2018 data, our study investigated the relationship between exposure to trace metals and depressive symptoms. We applied a quantile g computation approach to assess the combined mixture effect of eleven trace metals, adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, education, SES, and creatinine levels. The findings revealed a significant mixture effect, suggesting that an increase across quantile levels of metal exposures is correlated with an increment in depression scores. While individual metals like Cadmium initially presented a significant association, it turns insignificant after adjusting for covariates. The significant result of the mixture effect highlights the potential impact of simultaneous exposure to multiple metals on mental health. The cross-sectional design and small sample size are limitations. Further longitudinal research could provide deeper insights into these associations and inform preventative strategies for depression related to environmental factors.