Married Minds: Oral Microbiota May Mediate Shared Anxiety A new study suggests that the transmission of oral microbiota between newlywed couples may influence the development of depression and anxiety symptoms. Researchers followed 1,740 couples married for six months and compared healthy spouses to those partnered with individuals who exhibited insomnia and depression-anxiety (DA) traits. Over time, the healthy partners of DA-phenotype individuals showed worsening scores in sleep quality, depression, and anxiety assessments. These psychological changes coincided with shifts in the oral microbiota, with microbial profiles of the healthy spouses increasingly resembling their affected partners. Specific bacteria, such as Clostridia and Veillonella, were more abundant in affected individuals and correlated with altered cortisol levels in their spouses. Although the findings are associational, they raise intriguing possibilities about microbial influence on mental health within intimate relationships.