The Endocannabinoid System, Stress, and Mental Health

Psychosocial stress, in particular chronic stress, has emerged as a key factor in the pathophysiology of many chronic diseases, including mental health conditions. Stress is anything that challenges our homeostasis. Several brain regions are involved in stress regulation including the corticolimbic system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and chronic inflammation has emerged as a potential common pathway underpinning stress-related diseases. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates our responsivity to stress, including the neuroendocrine and behavioral aspects of stress, via the corticolimbic system and the HPA axis, and changes occur within the ECS under conditions of acute and chronic stress. The gut microbiome is also involved in our stress regulation and reactions, and it is linked to the ECS also. An understanding of the impact of stress is important since stress increases the risk of mental health problems including anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and others.