Antidepressant News and Research

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Antidepressants are medicines that treat depression. Your doctor can prescribe them for you. They can improve your mood, sleep, appetite and concentration. It may take several weeks for them to help. There are several types of antidepressants. You and your doctor may have to try several before finding what works best for you.

Study finds little evidence on effectiveness of common antidepressant in autism spectrum disorders

A new study has found there is little evidence that a widely used antidepressant is effective at reducing obsessive compulsive behaviours in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.

23 Oct 2019

Half the drugs in use damage gut bacteria, says new study

A startling presentation at UEG Week 2019, in Barcelona, reveals that the gut microbiome is at high risk for damage each time we use a drug from one or more of 18 commonly used groups. The effects may range from changes in the relative proportions of different beneficial and potentially harmful species to alterations in the cellular metabolism of the bacteria themselves.

23 Oct 2019

Does bipolar disorder increase the risk of Parkinson's disease?

A review published by the JAMA Network has found that the risk of Parkinson's disease is significantly higher in those with bipolar disorder.

18 Oct 2019

Mediterranean style diet found to relieve symptoms of depression

A new study has added to the existing evidence that a healthy and balanced diet could help reduce the symptoms of depression.

10 Oct 2019

Antidepressant use soars among people aged 65 and over

A study had found that there has been a rise in antidepressant use in people aged 65 and over, even though numbers of those depressed has not changed.

7 Oct 2019

Deep brain stimulation effective in resistant depression

A new study in the American Journal of Psychiatry says deep brain stimulation is an effective treatment in depressed patients who do not respond to other forms of therapy. The study published on October 4, 2019, looked at the long-term effects on patients who had received electrical stimulation to the subcallosal cingulate area of the brain. The subcallosal cingulate area of the brain is also called Brodmann Area 25, and has been targeted by researchers as a possible focus for antidepressant stimulation.

7 Oct 2019

Gender-affirming surgery can lead to long-term mental health benefits for transgender individuals

For transgender individuals, gender-affirming surgery can lead to long-term mental health benefits, according to new research published online today in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

4 Oct 2019

Long-term study data shows DBS is effective for patients with treatment-resistant depression

A study published online on Friday, October 4, in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that deep brain stimulation (DBS) of an area in the brain called the subcallosal cingulate (SCC) provides a robust antidepressant effect that is sustained over a long period of time in patients with treatment-resistant depression--the most severely depressed patients who have not responded to other treatments.

4 Oct 2019

4 out of 5 people on antidepressant drugs are unaware of the side effects

New research has found that less than half of practitioners have mental health training and thousands of patients are left in the dark about their medications.

3 Oct 2019

First-of-its-kind study shows antidepressants are safe

Antidepressants are safe, with adverse effects generally being due to existing psychiatric conditions, according to new research.

2 Oct 2019

Researchers find no evidence of adverse health outcomes linked with antidepressant use

Antidepressants are generally safe, according to a new study by an international team of researchers. By assessing evidence from 45 meta-analyses, which combined the results from many studies, the researchers did not find strong evidence of adverse health outcomes associated with antidepressant use.

2 Oct 2019

New study shows link between antidepressant use and gestational diabetes mellitus

A study has found a link between the use of antidepressants and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnant women.

2 Oct 2019

People with severe insomnia may benefit from sedatives, shows study

Insomnia is a driver of suicide, and particularly people with severe insomnia may safely benefit from taking a sedative to help address their sleep problems as it reduces their suicidal thoughts, investigators report.

30 Sep 2019

Researchers use AI to predict depression outcomes

The psychiatry field has long sought answers to explain why antidepressants help only some people.

25 Sep 2019

Unexpected mechanism of action found with sertraline

A new study on sertraline, which is one of the most popular drugs for depression and anxiety, shows that its efficacy is undoubted, but it operates primarily by reducing anxiety rather than depression.

23 Sep 2019

Identification and management of depression in people with epilepsy to save lives

Depression is the most common psychiatric comorbidity in people with epilepsy. Clinical studies have found that 20% to 30% of people with epilepsy have depression; the incidence may be as high as 50% to 55% in people visiting hospital epilepsy centers.

21 Sep 2019

Deep brain magnetic stimulation can improve symptoms of OCD

Researchers have found that focusing powerful non-invasive magnet stimulation on a specific brain area can improve the symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

8 Sep 2019

Serotonin and anti-depressants can have a major effect on the gut's microbiota

A new study in mice led by UCLA biologists strongly suggests that serotonin and drugs that target serotonin, such as anti-depressants, can have a major effect on the gut's microbiota -- the 100 trillion or so bacteria and other microbes that live in the human body's intestines.

6 Sep 2019

Study examines weight loss outcomes in individuals taking psychiatric medication

A new Canadian study suggests that individuals who take anti-depressants and/or anti-psychotics and participate in a weight management program can lose weight whether or not they take psychiatric medications, according to a report published online today in Obesity, the flagship journal of The Obesity Society.

23 Aug 2019

Study investigates association between migraine diagnoses and dementia

Several studies have recently focused on the association between migraine headaches and other headaches and dementia and found a positive migraine-dementia relationship.

14 Aug 2019