Depressive Disorder News and Research

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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

In-home occupational therapy reduces depression symptoms in patients with impaired vision

Johns Hopkins researchers report that in-home occupational therapy appears to reduce the rate and severity of depression in people at higher risk for the disorder because of seriously impaired vision.

8 Mar 2017

ADHD linked to delayed development of five brain regions, study suggests

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with the delayed development of five brain regions and should be considered a brain disorder, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

17 Feb 2017

Researchers provide new data and prospects for links between gut microbiota and depression

An international group of researchers headed by André Carvalho has published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic a paper that provides new data and prospects for the links between the intestinal flora and several disorders, notably depression.

16 Feb 2017

Study finds sharp rise in number of older Americans taking multiple brain-affecting drugs

The number of older Americans who take three or more medicines that affect their brains has more than doubled in just a decade, a new study finds.

14 Feb 2017

Patients with early, severe depression symptoms have increased genetic risk for psychiatric disorders

Clinical features of major depressive disorder (MDD) may help identify specific subgroups of depressed patients based on associations with genetic risk for major psychiatric disorders, reports a study in Biological Psychiatry.

7 Feb 2017

Functional MRI brain scan may help predict patient’s response to antidepressant therapy

A functional MRI brain scan may help predict which patients will respond positively to antidepressant therapy, according to a new study published in the journal Brain.

25 Jan 2017

Hallucinogenic drug offers relief for people with cancer-related anxiety or depression

In a small double-blind study, Johns Hopkins researchers report that a substantial majority of people suffering cancer-related anxiety or depression found considerable relief for up to six months from a single large dose of psilocybin -- the active compound in hallucinogenic "magic mushrooms."

2 Dec 2016

Overweight adolescents with bipolar disorder show signs of increased illness severity, study finds

Bipolar disorder is one of the most disabling medical conditions among adolescents worldwide. Similarly, being overweight or obese is common in adolescents and is known to confer risk for cardiovascular disease and other poor health outcomes in adulthood.

1 Dec 2016

Home-based telemental health provides improved quality of life for depressed elderly veterans

Home-based telemental health for depression is well received by patients and delivers as good a quality of life as in-person visits, according to the results of a clinical trial in 241 depressed elderly veterans reported in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry by investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center.

23 Nov 2016

Penn study shows breathing-based meditation can help alleviate severe depression

A breathing-based meditation practice known as Sudarshan Kriya yoga helped alleviate severe depression in people who did not fully respond to antidepressant treatments, reports a new study published today in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

22 Nov 2016

Increased sensitivity to uncertain threat common to several anxiety disorders

Several anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobias, share a common underlying trait: increased sensitivity to uncertain threat, or fear of the unknown, report researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

18 Nov 2016

Painless tDCS technique could improve life for people with major depression

Small amounts of electricity similar to the output of a common 9-volt battery could improve life for people living with major depression, the most common mood disorder.

16 Nov 2016

Neuroimaging markers may help predict psychotherapy response in patients with depression, anxiety

Brain imaging scans may one day provide useful information on the response to psychotherapy in patients with depression or anxiety, according to a review of current research in the November/December issue of the Harvard Review of Psychiatry, published by Wolters Kluwer.

10 Nov 2016

Pupil dilation in reaction to negative facial expressions predicts risk for MDD recurrence

Pupil dilation in reaction to negative emotional faces predicts risk for depression relapse, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

4 Nov 2016

Study to examine efficacy of orally administered medication 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.

8 Oct 2016

Scientists identify new pathway in the brain that can be targeted to alleviate depression

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a new pathway in the brain that can be manipulated to alleviate depression. The pathway offers a promising new target for developing a drug that could be effective in individuals for whom other antidepressants have failed.

5 Oct 2016

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