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.

Team approach to treating depression cuts medical costs

A team approach to treating depression in older adults, already shown to improve health, can also cut total health-care costs, according to a new study led by the University of Washington.

8 Feb 2008

Antidepressants might be worthless for treating low back pain

The review appears in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic.

30 Jan 2008

No clear evidence that antidepressants assist in the management of chronic low back pain

Doctors commonly prescribe antidepressants for patients with low back pain for three main reasons; to relieve pain; reduce mild depression and improve a person's mood; and improve sleep.

24 Jan 2008

Matters of the mind can affect matters of the heart

A new study by McGill University and Université de Montréal researchers has found that major anxiety and/or depression, can double a coronary artery disease patient's chances of repeated heart ailments.

21 Jan 2008

Arthritis drug Etanercept clears up symptoms of psoriasis

New research from the United States has found that a drug commonly used to treat arthritis significantly reduces the symptoms of psoriasis in children.

20 Jan 2008

Study finds most psychiatric patients have more than one diagnosis

A new study by Rhode Island Hospital researchers reports that the majority of 2,300 psychiatry outpatients had more than one disorder when seeking treatment, and more than one-third had at least three disorders.

15 Jan 2008

Help with getting off the couch

It's only been a few weeks since you made that New Year's resolution to exercise more, but already you're finding reasons to skip days - maybe even weeks.

10 Jan 2008

Stress causes whole body deterioration

Stress, to put it bluntly, is bad for you. It can kill you, in fact. A study now reveals that stress causes deterioration in everything from your gums to your heart and can make you more susceptible to everything from the common cold to cancer.

9 Jan 2008

AstraZeneca submits sNDAs for SEROQUEL XR for bipolar symptoms

AstraZeneca has announced that the company has submitted two separate supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDAs) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for once-daily SEROQUEL XR (quetiapine fumarate) Extended-Release Tablets to seek approval for the treatment of manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder and the treatment of depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder.

3 Jan 2008

Omega-3 fatty acids for depression - new trial

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences are seeking participants for a clinical trial examining whether two polyunsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids are effective treatments for depression.

18 Dec 2007

Predicting post-traumatic stress disorders in deployed veterans

Richardson is a psychiatrist with Parkwood Hospital, part of St. Joseph's Health Care, London and a professor with the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario.

14 Dec 2007

Venlafaxine extended-release effective for patients with major depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common major mental illness, afflicting almost one in five individuals.

13 Dec 2007

Relationship of female sex hormones to mood states and disorders merits better research

Countless movies and TV shows make light of women's so-called “moodiness”, often jokingly attributing it to their menstrual cycle or, conversely, to menopause.

13 Dec 2007

New psychiatric medication treatment guidelines for preschoolers

The number of preschool-age children being treated with stimulants, antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs is on the rise, despite limited research and a lack of clinical practice guidelines.

4 Dec 2007

FDA approves Cymbalta for maintenance treatment of major depressive disorder

Eli Lilly and Company has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cymbalta (duloxetine HCl) for the maintenance treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults.

2 Dec 2007

University of Illinois at Chicago receives $2.2 million grant to develop drugs to suppress cocaine cravings

The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy has received a $2.2 million federal grant to develop therapeutics to suppress the cravings of cocaine addicts.

19 Nov 2007

Acne drug Roaccutane may disrupt serotonin production

New research has found that a drug used to treat severe forms of acne reduces the availability of the chemical serotonin, low levels of which have been linked to aggression and clinical depression.

13 Nov 2007

Trial of the antidepressant fluoxetine for teens with depression and substance use disorders

The antidepressant fluoxetine combined with cognitive behavioral therapy appears as effective for treating depression among teens who also have substance use disorders as among those without substance abuse problems, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

6 Nov 2007

Fabre Kramer Pharmaceuticals receives FDA decision on Gepirone ER for major depressive disorder

Fabre-Kramer Pharmaceuticals Inc. (FKP) and GlaxoSmithKline announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a not approvable letter for the new drug application for gepirone extended- release (ER) tablets, submitted for the treatment of adults with major depressive disorder.

5 Nov 2007

Little evidence to support therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe and ongoing emotional reaction to an extreme psychological trauma; it affects significant numbers of people, in particular military personnel and veterans, who have seen active duty in war zones.

22 Oct 2007