Perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate and depression: the potential mediating role of sleep

Perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate are common thyroid disruptors, but it is not clear whether they are related to depression. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate and depression, and to explore the potential role of sleep in this process. We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). From 2005 to 2016, 6 cycles cross-sectional data were combined. Urinary perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate came from laboratory test; depression was diagnosed by the Nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Weighted generalized liner models, restricted cubic splines, and mediation analysis were used in this study. Totally, 16,715 participants were involved in this study, of which 8295 (49.63%) were male and 8420 (50.37%) were female, with an average age of 46.19 ± 0.32 years. We found that urinary thiocyanate concentration was positively associated with depression (Odds ratios [ORs]: 1.49; 95% confidence intervals [95% CIs]: 1.16, 1.91), but not perchlorate (ORs: 0.71; 95% CIs: 0.52, 0.97) or nitrate (ORs: 0.89, 95% CIs: 0.66, 1.19). Sleep may play a potential mediating role between thiocyanate and depression (9.55%). In conclusion, higher concentrations of thiocyanate exposure may be associated with a higher risk of depression, and the sleep duration may be an important mediating factor.