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.

New study examines effects of gene variant on resting-state brain function in patients with MDD

A new study assessed the effects of a SLC6A15 gene variant on resting-state brain function in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), comparing the results with those in healthy individuals.

5 Dec 2017

Undocumented Mexican immigrants living in the country at risk for mental disorders

Nearly a quarter of Mexican immigrants who live near the California-Mexico border without legal authorization have a mental disorder, particularly depression or anxiety, according to a new study by Rice University.

30 Oct 2017

New analysis reveals insights into long-term effects of antidepressant drugs

In the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics a new analysis discloses insights into the long term effects of antidepressant drugs. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is more often chronic or recurrent in clinical than in community samples.

24 Oct 2017

Seniors treated for depression experience comparable improvements as younger patients, study reveals

A new Cedars-Sinai study reveals that older adults being treated for depression experience comparable improvements in quality of life and functioning as do younger adults treated for the same condition.

26 Sep 2017

Study: Neurofeedback holds potential to treat people suffering from treatment-resistant depression

A small pilot study has indicated that neurofeedback - where patients concentrate on modifying their own brainwave patterns - has potential to treat many of the 100m people worldwide who suffer from Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD).

4 Sep 2017

Obesity and depression are entwined, yet scientists don’t know why

About 15 years ago, Dr. Sue McElroy, a psychiatrist in Mason, Ohio, started noticing a pattern. People came to see her because they were depressed, but they frequently had a more visible ailment as well: They were heavy.

11 Aug 2017

Study findings could lead to more effective and faster acting antidepressants

For people suffering from depression, a day without treatment can seem like a lifetime. A new study explains why the most commonly prescribed antidepressants can take as long as six weeks to have an effect. The findings could one day lead to more effective and faster acting drugs.

3 Aug 2017

EFMT technology results in greater reduction of major depressive disorder symptoms

A treatment for depression using Emotional Faces Memory Task (EFMT), a technology originally developed by two Mount Sinai researchers, resulted in a significantly greater reduction of major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms compared to a control group, according to initial clinical results presented at the Society of Biological Psychiatry Annual Scientific Convention on May 19, 2017, in San Diego.

5 Jun 2017

Brief psychological intervention reduces depressive symptoms in patients with advanced cancer

Advanced cancer triggers enormous distress and brings challenges that can seem overwhelming. Yet, most cancer centers lack systematic approaches to help patients and families manage the practical and emotional toll of advanced cancer.

5 Jun 2017

Pupil dilation could help predict depression risk following disaster-related stress

Pupil dilation could identify which individuals are at greatest risk for depression following disaster-related stress, and help lead to targeted interventions, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

23 May 2017

Researchers examine morbidity linked to depressive disorders

Ross Baldessarini and an international group of investigators have analyzed the morbidity associated with depressive disorders in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

27 Apr 2017

Research reveals how alterations in excitation/inhibition balance may lead to psychiatric disorders

In a special issue of Biological Psychiatry titled "Cortical Excitation-Inhibition Balance and Dysfunction in Psychiatric Disorders", guest editors Dr. Alan Anticevic and Dr. John Murray, both of Yale University, bring together seven reviews that highlight advancements in understanding the balance of excitatory and inhibitory signaling in the brain, and what might happen when it goes awry.

27 Apr 2017

Poor sleep may make it harder to regulate negative emotions in people with anxiety or depression

A lack of sleep makes everything harder. Focusing, finishing assignments, and coping with everyday stress can become monumental tasks.

18 Apr 2017

Study finds low cervical cancer screening rates among women with mental illness

Women enrolled in California's Medicaid program who have been diagnosed with severe mental illness have been screened for cervical cancer at much lower rates than other women, according to a new study by researchers at UC San Francisco.

17 Apr 2017

Study reveals link between rare NKPD1 gene and depressive symptoms

A study of people from an isolated village in the Netherlands reveals a link between rare variants in the gene NKPD1 and depressive symptoms.

4 Apr 2017

Traumatic events during adolescence can raise women’s risk of depression during menopause

Although depression is common during a woman's transition to menopause, understanding who is at-risk of experiencing major depressive disorder (MDD) during this period of hormonal fluctuation were previously unknown.

29 Mar 2017

Researchers use machine learning approach to accurately predict risk of depression

Depression affects more than 15 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population, each year. It is the leading cause of disability for those between the ages of 15 and 44.

27 Mar 2017

Research consortium develops new classification and diagnostic system for mental disorders

A consortium of psychologists and psychiatrists has developed a new, evidence-based alternative to the mental health field's long-established diagnostic tools for the classification, treatment, and research of mental disorders, according to a University at Buffalo psychologist who is one of the co-authors of a paper that explains the groundbreaking approach.

27 Mar 2017

Structured interviews may be effective in identifying women at risk of postpartum depression

For non-depressed, pregnant women with histories of major depressive disorder, preventive treatment with antidepressants may not necessarily protect against postpartum depression, according to new UCLA research.

21 Mar 2017

Mount Sinai researchers review progress made in using ketamine and other therapies to treat depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) impacts 15 million Americans and is the leading cause of disability, yet current treatments possess limited efficacy.

17 Mar 2017