PARASITIC INFECTIONS AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY - A PRELIMINARY HYPOTHESIS

The relationship between chronic parasitic loads and psychopathology i s examined. Research suggests that: (1) psychiatric disorders are more prevalent in less developed countries where parasitic loads are more endemic; (2) individual patients with parasitic loads are more likely to exhibit mental status changes; (3) there is an improvement in the m ental status of a subset of psychiatric patients following treatment f or parasites. Inasmuch as the prevalence of parasitic content is under estimated in both more developed and less developed countries, an awar eness of this relationship should increase understanding of the needs of infected individuals, and be taken into consideration when evaluati ng psychiatric patients.