A paper co-authored by Professor Toshio Kawai has been published in Volume 19 of the Journal of Clinical & Translational Endocrinology.

This article discusses Graves’ Disease, a thyroid disease, caused by the over-secretion of thyroid hormones, and the mental disorders associated with it.

Thyroid disease is often associated with mental symptoms, especially depression and anxiety, because the T3 thyroid hormone regulates serotonin and noradrenaline. In many cases, mental symptoms persist even after normalization of thyroid function by treatment. In the case of Graves’ Disease, psychosocial factors, including stress and mental symptoms, also play a role. The combination of mental disorders has been related to the exacerbation of hyperthyroidism, including Graves’ Disease.

Therefore, this paper suggests that psychosomatic approaches based on the bio-psycho-social medical model are important for the treatment of mental disorders associated with Graves’ Disease.

2020/01/16