Major Depressive Disorder News and Research

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Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by depressed mood or anhedonia (significant loss of interest or pleasure). The condition affects more than 15.7 million adults and approximately 3 million adolescents (aged 13 to 17 years) in the USA each year.

Study indicates a very high level of resilience among Canadians with arthritis

A new study published by researchers at the University of Toronto indicates a very high level of resilience among Canadians with arthritis whose activities were restricted due to pain.

13 Oct 2023

Ketogenic diets found to slash migraine frequency and fatigue in new study

Italian researchers find that ketogenic diets not only reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines but also significantly alleviate fatigue in sufferers. The study opens new doors for alternative, diet-based therapies for chronic and high-frequency episodic migraineurs.

12 Oct 2023

Daylight heals, night light steals: The surprising link between light exposure and mental health

Researchers find that increased night-time light exposure is linked to higher risks of various psychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety, while more daylight exposure lowers these risks. The large-scale study suggests modulating light patterns could be a non-pharmacological strategy for improving mental health.

12 Oct 2023

Stress-induced ribosome dysregulation may underlie depression

A group of ribosomal protein genes connects animal models of depression to human patients with major depressive disorder.

10 Oct 2023

New drug shows promise for epilepsy patients with resistant seizures

In cases where standard therapies fail, a medication called XEN1101 reduces seizure frequency by more than 50% in some patients and sometimes eliminates them altogether, a new study shows.

9 Oct 2023

Study finds increase in mental health spending for children, adolescents since the beginning of pandemic

Spending on mental health services for children and adolescents has risen by more than one-quarter since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing to rise even as the use of telehealth plateaued, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

4 Oct 2023

Esketamine outperforms one of the standard drugs for treatment-resistant major depression

A major clinical trial shows that the drug, esketamine, one of the two main forms of ketamine, outperforms one of the standard treatments for treatment-resistant major depression.

4 Oct 2023

Internet-delivered CBT may help reduce depressive symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis

Major depressive disorder affects up to 50% of all individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) at some point during their lifetime and can lead to lower quality of life, greater disease progression and higher mortality.

27 Sep 2023

How important is inflammation and body weight in the origin of depression?

A new paper in BMC Medicine examines the role of inflammation and body mass index (BMI) in the etiology of treatment-resistant depression.

18 Sep 2023

The science behind lifestyle's role in preventing depression

A recent paper looks at the effect of a range of lifestyle factors in relation to brain structure, immune function, metabolic pathways, and genetic mechanisms that are responsible for depression.

13 Sep 2023

Research review focuses on the use of psilocybin for treatment of depression

A growing body of evidence suggests that psychedelic drugs may be useful in treating various mental health conditions.

8 Sep 2023

Antipsychotics are likely overprescribed among homebound patients with dementia, study shows

New research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society indicates that antipsychotics are likely overprescribed and used inappropriately among patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) receiving home health care, and such use is linked to worse patient outcomes.

7 Sep 2023

Teen brains with depression show heightened sensitivity to parental criticism

Adolescents with depression show heightened neural activity in response to parental criticism and are less positively impacted by parental praise, according to a study in Psychological Medicine. The research underscores the importance of psycho-education for parents and clinicians to better understand the unique emotional sensitivities of adolescents with depressive disorders.

6 Sep 2023

Gut feeling: How your microbiome could be shaping your mental health

Researchers in Biological Psychiatry delve into the complex relationship between the gut microbiome and mental health disorders like depression and bipolar disorder. The study explores how not just gut bacteria, but also lesser-known gut microorganisms such as viruses, fungi, and parasites, play a pivotal role in mood disorders.

5 Sep 2023

What are the efficacy and safety of psilocybin in patients with major depressive disorder?

The safety, timing, magnitude, and durability of the antidepressant psilocybin on patients with major depressive disorders.

4 Sep 2023

Peer-delivered psychotherapy effective for postpartum depression

An innovative model of care that offers new mothers psychotherapy delivered by other mothers who have also experienced post-partum depression (PPD) should be implemented in clinical practice, according to researchers at McMaster University.

31 Aug 2023

Study explores the potential of robotic-assisted TMS for depression

In a recent study published in the Scientific Reports, a group of researchers evaluated the efficiency, therapeutic efficacy, and patient perceptions of a custom robotic system for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coil placement in treating depression compared to traditional manual methods.

31 Aug 2023

Spending on mental health services rose by 53% during the COVID-19 pandemic

Spending on mental health services among Americans with private health insurance has surged since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing to rise even as the use of telehealth has plateaued, according to a new study.

25 Aug 2023

Depression survivors spend more time processing negative information

People who have recovered from a major depressive episode, when compared with individuals who have never experienced one, tend to spend more time processing negative information and less time processing positive information, putting them at risk for a relapse, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

21 Aug 2023

ADHD diagnosis in childhood vs adulthood: is there a difference in genetic architecture?

Researchers investigated whether individuals diagnosed with ADHD during childhood vs adulthood differed in terms of unique and shared genetic and functional architectures.

9 Aug 2023