Research on depression and its treatment. Covers stress-response biology, ketamine and dopamine-targeting therapies, treatment-resistant cases, and brain mechanisms.
A systematic review of 68 studies finds varied psychological responses to collective trauma, with exposure intensity and social circumstances playing key roles. Social connection also offers protective benefits.
A study of 120 women found that severe pelvic floor and anorectal symptoms are associated with more severe depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem. Chronic symptoms can lead to social isolation, reduced participation, and a sense of losing control over one's body.
A new study emphasizes the importance of accessible maternity and psychiatric care for pregnant women suffering from major depressive disorder. The research highlights the need to balance treatment benefits with potential risks associated with SSRI exposure, suggesting a structured approach to decision-making.
Recent studies from the University of Gothenburg found that nicotine use is associated with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems in adolescents. Girls are particularly vulnerable to these effects, including increased risk of worsening sleep problems, low mood, and difficulties concentrating.
Researchers found that meaning in life and healthy digital habits are strong predictors of better mental health outcomes. These factors can be strengthened through interventions, regardless of religious affiliation.
A comprehensive global assessment reveals striking regional disparities in depression-obesity comorbidity, with countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia experiencing rapidly increasing trends. The study projects that the median prevalence of depression-obesity comorbidity will rise to 869 cases per 100,000 population by 2035.
Researchers discovered that depression is associated with a specific area of the hippocampus, independent of Alzheimer's disease risk factors. The study found participants with depression had smaller volumes in the CA23DG region, which plays a crucial role in retrieving memories and distinguishing between similar experiences.
A new study by Penn State researchers found that strong social bonds and public recognition for achievements can reduce suicidal thoughts and behavior among teenagers. The study analyzed data from nearly 200,000 Pennsylvania teens and found that personal connections with family, school, and community can decrease suicide risk.
A study of over 128,000 US adults found that children of divorce had a 41% higher odds of depression in adulthood. Parental mental illness and substance use were key factors underlying this association.
Researchers have developed a new assessment tool to standardize reporting of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies. The Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Reporting Assessment Tool (TMS-RAT) helps compare results, build on each other's findings, and support progress in brain stimulation research. This tool addresses the need f...
A study published in PLOS Medicine found that people with dementia, mild cognitive impairment, alcohol addiction, or psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia show increased brain aging patterns. The researchers analyzed MRI data from over 45,900 controls and compared them to 2,698 patients with different brain conditions.
The Lurie Children's Mood, Anxiety, ADHD Collaborative Care (MAACC) program prepares pediatricians to manage mental health conditions on their own. This enables more children to access care despite the shortage of pediatric mental health professionals.
A new study found that adults with disabilities have more than three times the rate of alcohol use disorder diagnoses compared to adults without disabilities in the US. Adults with serious mental illness and acquired brain injuries had the highest rates of AUD, with men with disabilities having the highest rates.
A new University of Michigan poll reveals that 31% of people aged 50 and over have never heard of any mental health crisis line, while 69% are unfamiliar with 988. Despite this, most participants expressed willingness to use these services in a mental health emergency, highlighting the need for increased awareness-raising efforts.
Subjective olfactory impairment consistently associated with depression, while objective impairment linked to aging and anosmia. The study suggests partly distinct underlying mechanisms for subjective and objective impairments.
A study published in PLOS Medicine found that British Bangladeshi and British Pakistani individuals are more likely to develop multimorbidity, a condition where people experience multiple chronic illnesses simultaneously. The research identified sociodemographic and genetic factors that increase the risk of developing these conditions,...
A new study found that women with unmedicated depression may struggle to regulate body temperature in hot weather, but those taking SSRIs respond similarly to healthy individuals. The research suggests that SSRI treatment can help depressed women tolerate heat stress more effectively.
Depression is associated with a greater tendency to be reinforced by social rewards on Twitter, contrary to laboratory-based findings of blunted reinforcement learning in depression. This suggests potential mechanisms linking social media use to worse mental health outcomes.
Researchers at King's College London discovered a molecule linked to chronic inflammation disrupts brain neuron formation, highlighting a pathway with therapeutic potential for conditions like Alzheimer's disease and depression. High cytokine levels trigger an 'immune alert' state, reducing new nerve cell production.
The e-BOCCHI program, developed to address adolescent loneliness, showed statistically significant reductions in depressive symptoms. Participants demonstrated improvements in help-seeking skills compared to baseline, but modest improvements in loneliness and self-esteem scores.
A new review investigates the impact of aging, stress, and behavior on endocrine dysfunctions in nonhuman primates. The study finds that older monkeys with depression-like behavior exhibit impaired regulation of stress responses and thyroid function, leading to increased disease risk.
A systematic review found that creatine monohydrate may reduce depressive symptoms in people taking standard antidepressants, with two trials showing significant benefits. However, three trials showed no effect, and the evidence is not yet settled due to limitations such as small sample sizes and biased patient enrollment.
Researchers at University of Toyama found three risk factors for mother-infant bonding disorders: difficulty holding a fussy baby, low happiness about pregnancy, and lack of social support. These factors predict increased risks of developmental delays and child abuse.
A new study suggests that functional brain imaging can help guide accelerated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for depression, leading to improved symptoms and response rates. The approach uses resting-state functional connectivity analysis to identify individualized treatment targets.
Most adults in Singapore living with anxiety or depression are open to receiving support from peers, even if they haven't sought professional help. Peer support is identified as a potentially important complement to existing healthcare infrastructure, offering a community-based pathway to encourage more people to seek help earlier.
Fathers who take longer periods of parental leave, up to 14-40 weeks, are less likely to develop depressive symptoms than those with shorter leave. This is because sustained time at home helps build a closer connection with their child and establishes everyday routines.
A pilot clinical trial found that adding probiotics to standard care reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms in older adults with moderate depression. However, probiotics did not confer clear additional gains in quality of life compared to a placebo.
Researchers at USC are conducting a clinical trial to determine whether mindfulness meditation training can augment the potential benefits of psilocybin therapy for mental well-being and cognitive function. The study will evaluate the effects of psilocybin within an eight-week mindfulness meditation training program.
A study found that depression shapes children's attention to happy and sad faces, with changes based on family history. Children of mothers with a history of depression showed increased attention to sad faces when experiencing depressive symptoms.
A study found that 18% of college students used AI for mental health, with those having more severe symptoms and Asian students being more likely to do so. The use of AI may pose risks, such as undermining emotional regulation or perspective-taking.
A study published in Psychological Medicine found that a laxative drug, Prucalopride, improved executive function and memory in patients with depression. The research suggests that targeting serotonin receptors may help alleviate cognitive problems associated with depression.
A study of 585 older adults found that different patterns of depressive symptoms are associated with disability-free survival, differing between men and women. Stronger feelings of 'worthlessness' were a significant risk factor for men, while 'anxiety' was a bigger risk factor for women.
Researchers found that pramipexole, a Parkinson's disease medication, improved symptoms of anhedonia in patients with treatment-resistant depression. The therapy was associated with positive effects on the brain's reward system and increased physical activity.
Researchers identified distinct brain activity patterns in people with depression, which may contribute to the experience of feeling stuck. The study suggests depression involves a form of brain-state entrapment, where the brain becomes more likely to enter certain patterns of activity and less likely to transition out of them.
A new study by UC San Francisco found that women with HIV are more likely to die from preventable trauma-related conditions like substance use and mental illness. The researchers say these causes are largely missing from official death records, highlighting the need for broader goals in HIV care beyond just controlling the virus.
Adolescents who spend at least two hours a day on social media are more likely to experience depressive symptoms and poorer wellbeing, with the strongest effects seen in girls aged 12–13 years. The study, which followed almost 1,200 children from age nine to 19, highlights the need for policies that reduce excessive screentime.
A study published in Cell Host & Microbe suggests that GLP-1 analogs may alleviate depression in mice by modulating the gut microbiome. The researchers found that a specific microbe strain, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, played a key role in this process.
Childhood maltreatment alters fear-related brain function and systemic inflammation, modulating their connection. The timing and type of abuse or neglect shape this link, with early trauma affecting threat-regional brain areas and late trauma impacting regulatory brain regions.
A pilot study by Penn State researchers found that wearing a cooling cap for 30 minutes can improve a person's sense of well-being and reduce depressive symptoms. The study also showed an increase in alpha brain waves, indicating a calming effect.
A new study has uncovered how antidepressants affect different groups of serotonin-producing brain cells in opposite ways. Researchers found two distinct subpopulations of neurons that respond differently to SSRIs, mirroring the clinical picture where unpleasant effects come first and relief comes later.
A cohort study found that smartphone acquisition at age 13 was linked to increased risk of insufficient sleep at age 14. Excessive smartphone use was also tied to higher odds of depression and obesity. Limiting screen time may protect adolescents from these outcomes.
The FUTURE-D project combines data science with clinical expertise to identify warning signs of depression earlier, enabling more targeted interventions. Researchers will integrate longitudinal cohort data from the MACS and NESDA studies to better understand depressive disorders.
A new framework, criticome, integrates experience until age 25, reframing autism, schizophrenia, depression, and trauma as developmental disorders. The study suggests that screen-saturated childhoods may produce adult dysfunction, highlighting the importance of early experience in brain development.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) can remodel white matter pathways in the brain and alter communication across large-scale neural networks. The therapy helps patients recover from severe depression by increasing fractional anisotropy and myelination within specific pathways, suggesting a previously unrecognized mechanism.
A new book by a Cambridge child psychotherapist argues that treating parents alongside children is crucial for addressing the youth mental health crisis. The author highlights the importance of considering an 'ecological system', including families, communities, and environment, in understanding young people's wellbeing.
Researchers found biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease that correlated with minor cognitive differences in midlife adults. These biomarkers, measuring tau and amyloid plaque, were associated with a greater chance of cognitive decline, particularly in processing speed and executive function.
A new preclinical study finds that estrogen loss in the extracellular matrix of the hippocampus may contribute to memory decline and increased risk of Alzheimer's disease in postmenopausal women. The study suggests a possible new treatment approach focused on restoring the brain's supportive environment.
A new study by the University of Ottawa suggests that a tiny molecule, methylglyoxal, plays a major role in triggering neurological disorders after a heart attack. The molecule accumulates in the brain following a heart attack and is linked to depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline.
A machine-learning guided lifestyle coaching program based on data collected via personal devices reduced depressive symptoms by six weeks. Participants who implemented the program experienced significant reductions in depressive symptoms and the treatment effect persisted during three months after the intervention ended.
Researchers linked duration and severity of depression to differences in functional brain connections, paving the way for personalized treatments. Changes in brain networks, particularly the Central Executive Network and Default Mode Network, were associated with varying degrees of depressive symptoms.
The study found that mental disorders disproportionately affect young people aged 15-19 and women, with anxiety and depression ranking among the top causes of disability globally. Mental disorders now account for 171 million DALYs, placing them as the fifth-leading cause of total disease burden worldwide.
Interleukin 6 is investigated as a treatment target for depression in this randomized clinical trial. The study highlights the therapeutic potential of IL-6 or IL-6 receptor inhibition and proposes suitable patient selection methods.
A University of Bristol-led pilot trial found that tocilizumab reduced symptoms of depression, fatigue and anxiety in people who had not responded to standard treatments. The study provides early evidence for a new treatment option for patients with inflammation-related depression.
A longitudinal study identified distinct brain-wave patterns emerging from age 9 that can forecast a child's vulnerability to anxiety or depression by age 13. The predictive markers reveal divergent neurodevelopmental trajectories linked to the right and left sides of the brain, respectively.
A low-cost game that can identify patients with depression in just three minutes has been developed by NYU Langone Health researchers. The game uses neurobiological studies to measure how patients' decisional reference points respond to changes in their environment, providing clues about what is happening in their brains.
A single dose of psilocybin was associated with rapid antidepressant effects, persisting for more than 3 months. The study suggests that psilocybin may provide a rapid and relatively long-lasting antidepressant effect on major depressive disorder.
A single dose of psilocybin provided rapid relief from depressive symptoms within a few days, with effects persisting for over three months. The treatment showed a significant advantage over SSRIs, with an average reduction of 9.7 points on the MADRS scale.
Researchers designed contact lenses with electrodes to deliver mild electrical signals to the brain, reducing behavioral and physiological signs of depression. The treatment showed comparable improvements to Prozac in mice.
A new study uses real-time fMRI neurofeedback to train people to regulate rumination, a common symptom of depression, by restoring healthy neural coupling between the posterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The approach shows promise in reducing depressive symptoms while leaving anxiety intact.
A widely used depression screening questionnaire is accurate for both people with and without chronic pain, according to a new study. The study debunks the myth that screening inflates depression scores for those with chronic pain, which can be masked by fatigue and sleep disturbances.