Major Depressive Disorder News and Research

RSS

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.

Alcohol produces same neural and molecular changes as rapid antidepressant drugs

Can having a few drinks help people with clinical depression feel better? Yes. At least in terms of biochemistry.

28 Sep 2016

Researchers find common brain abnormalities shared across multiple emotional disorders

Researchers have long known that emotional disorders have a lot in common. Many often occur together, like depression and social anxiety disorder. Treatments also tend to work across multiple disorders, suggesting shared underlying elements.

28 Sep 2016

New study to examine effectiveness of orally administered drug in treating stuttering

Stuttering, an interruption in the flow of speech, affects about three million Americans. It begins most often in childhood, affecting four men for every woman. A precise cause of this complex communicative disorder is not known.

23 Sep 2016

Tendency to feel lonely linked partially to genetic traits

Loneliness is linked to poor physical and mental health, and is an even more accurate predictor of early death than obesity.

20 Sep 2016

UAB researchers find microRNA as potential therapeutic target for MDD

A tiny RNA appears to play a role in producing major depression, the mental disorder that affects as many as 250 million people a year worldwide.

9 Sep 2016

Component of general anesthetic shows improvement in patients with treatment-resistant depression

A new study in Biological Psychiatry reports that esketamine, a component of the general anesthetic ketamine, shows rapid and significant improvement in depressive symptoms in patients who do not respond to currently available therapies.

8 Sep 2016

Study shows adequate sleep may accelerate antidepressant treatment response

Medication is an important part of treatment for many patients with major depressive disorder, but the transition to antidepressants isn't always smooth.

7 Sep 2016

New article examines why some individuals exhibit stress-resilient characteristics

Adapting to Stress: Understanding the Neurobiology of Resilience, an article recently published in Behavioral Medicine, examines the way our bodies, specifically our brains, become "stress-resilient."

2 Sep 2016

Study examines link between PTSD and cognitive impairment in WTC responders without head injury

New research published by the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring confirms the connection between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cognitive impairment - in this case, among those who helped with search, rescue and cleanup efforts following the 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) attacks.

30 Aug 2016

HIV-infected adults with MDD more likely to experience heart attack, study shows

Among more than 26,000 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adults, those with major depressive disorder (MDD) were more likely to experience a heart attack than those without MDD, according to a study published online by JAMA Cardiology.

24 Aug 2016

Treating metabolic abnormalities may improve symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant depression

Identifying and treating metabolic deficiencies in patients with treatment-resistant depression can improve symptoms and in some cases even lead to remission, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine published online today in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

12 Aug 2016

Transcranial alternating current stimulation during sleep can enhance memory in healthy people

When you sleep, your brain is busy storing and consolidating things you learned that day, stuff you'll need in your memory toolkit tomorrow, next week, or next year. For many people, especially those with neurological conditions, memory impairment can be a debilitating symptom that affects every-day life in profound ways

28 Jul 2016

New study shows women with ADHD likely to have many mental, physical health problems

Women with ADHD are much more likely to have a wide range of mental and physical health problems in comparison to women without ADHD, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Toronto.

21 Jul 2016

Non-drug solutions for postpartum depression: an interview with Dr David Brock & Christopher Thatcher

Postpartum depression (PPD) is reported to occur in 10-15% of delivering women with an estimated 400,000 women affected annually in the US. It is the most common complication of childbirth and is a significant public health concern.

11 Jul 2016

Study finds dramatic increase in nonmedical use of prescription opioids in the U.S.

Nonmedical use of prescription opioids more than doubled among adults in the United States from 2001-2002 to 2012-2013, based on a study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health. Nearly 10 million Americans, or 4.1 percent of the adult population, used opioid medications in 2012-2013 a class of drugs that includes OxyContin and Vicodin, without a prescription or not as prescribed (in greater amounts, more often, or longer than prescribed) in the past year.

23 Jun 2016

Mayo Clinic highlights potential merits of individualizing treatment for patients taking antidepressants

Mayo Clinic is highlighting the potential merits of using precision medicine in prescribing antidepressants. Details appear in the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

21 Jun 2016

Study shows childhood adversities, sleep disturbances interfere with immune system regulation

Adverse childhood experiences and sleep disturbances interfere with immune system regulation, shows research from the University of Eastern Finland.

20 Jun 2016

Childhood exposure to chronic parental domestic violence linked to suicide attempts among adults

A new study by the University of Toronto, found the lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts among adults who had been exposed to chronic parental domestic violence during childhood was 17.3% compared to 2.3% among those without this childhood adversity.

10 Jun 2016

New research offers hope for patients struggling with major depression

A new study reports that approximately two in five adults (39%) who have experienced major depression are able to achieve complete mental health. Researchers consider complete mental health as occurring when people achieve almost daily happiness or life satisfaction, positive social and psychological well-being, and are also free of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse for at least one full year.

8 Jun 2016

Study demonstrates effectiveness of NeuroStar TMS Therapy System in women with postpartum depression

An unfortunate fact facing mothers in the U.S. is that postpartum depression is the most common complication of childbirth. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of women who give birth each year – or roughly 600,000 women – experience postpartum depression symptoms.

18 May 2016