Microbial communities in the body and brain/mental health states play a major role in how each other work. The gut and brain are highly integrated and they communicate with each other bidirectionally through passive and active pathways. This includes mechanisms such as neural, immunological and endocrine. They also communicate through the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal stress axis as well. According to a study I found:
Gut to brain:
The configuration of the gut microbiota could alter the function of the central nervous system using certain communication including activating the vagus nerve which is neural, enteroendocrine cells and bacterial neuropeptides which are hormonal, bacteria metabolites which is humeral and lastly activation of the mucosal immune system which is immunological. About 80% of patients with GI diseases have been found to be correlated with psychiatric comorbidity like depression and anxiety. This shows how the microbiota can influence the brain/mental health states. Microbiota has also been discovered to modulate the levels of the adreno-cortico trophic hormone, The ACTH is a tropic hormone produced by the anterior pituitary and it functions to regulate cortisol levels and androgen. Using probiotics containing bacterium such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have proved to decrease anxiety and cortisol in patients.
Brain to gut:
The axis from brain to gut is mediated by stress factors which with the release of neurotransmitters and mucus changes the intestinal permeability and motility. To give an example, during stress when catecholamines and norepinephrine are released into the gastrointestinal tract, it may cause a regulation imbalance of the gut-brain axis via the changes in epithelial cells, mucus secretion and GI motility. This imbalance has been shown to lead to other gut diseases. In the study they also found that acute stress increased colonic paracellular permeability which resulted in other changes such as a decrease in mRNA expression. The stress assumedly decreases the functions overall of the gut microbiota. Stress has also been correlated with influencing irritable bowel syndrome.
Overall I think there is a major connection between microbial communities and brain/mental health. Given their bidirectional communication I feel as though when they are both running smoothly they promote health and maintain a healthy system. Whereas when one is down the other is soon to attempt to fix it or follow in the downturn influencing diseases such as IBS, depression and anxiety.
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