Depression

Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain. It's more than just a feeling of being "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. If you are one of the more than 20 million people in the United States who have depression, the feelings do not go away. They persist and interfere with your everyday life.

Clinical Depression: Diagnosis, Causes & Treatment

Depression is a clinical condition that, contrary to popular opinion, cannot simply be overcome with time and it needs to be treated.

Depression Diagnosis

Can Depression and Anxiety Occur Together?

How Does Your Diet Affect Depression?

Contributing Factors to Post-Adoption Depression

Ghrelin and Depression

Food Insecurity and Depression

The Science Behind the Winter Blues: Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder

Genes and Depression

Intrusive Thoughts and Depression

Antidepressants and Weight Changes

Symptoms of Depression

See more featured articles »

Depression and Sleep Length

Treatment Options for Children with Depression

Situational Depression: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

Link Between Chronic Illness and Depression

Treatment of Depression

Supporting Children with Mental Health Disorders

How Can I Tell if My Child is Depressed?

Causes of Depression

Prisoner Depression and Low Mood

Depression in children

How is Depression in Children Diagnosed?

5 Facts You May Not Know About Depression

Latest Depression News and Research

Top early-life factors driving childhood food allergy

This study analyzes 190 research papers to uncover early-life predictors of food allergies in children, highlighting skin barrier health and family history.

12 Feb 2026

Discontinuing antidepressants during pregnancy raises psychiatric risks

Pregnant patients who stopped taking their antidepressant medication during pregnancy were almost twice as likely to experience a mental health emergency compared with pregnant patients who continued taking their prescription, according to new research presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) 2026 Pregnancy Meeting.

11 Feb 2026

Simple wrist-worn device enables early detection of depression relapse

Could a smart watch act as an early‑warning system for depression relapse? New research from McMaster University suggests that disruptions in a person's sleep and daily activity routine, as detected through a simple wrist-worn device, can signal when there is increased risk of relapsing into major depression.

11 Feb 2026

Sprint-based exercise reduces panic attacks and improves mental health

High-intensity exercise shows promise in retraining fear responses in panic disorder, providing a sustainable and engaging alternative to traditional therapies.

11 Feb 2026

Analysis finds aerobic exercise to be most effective for reducing depression and anxiety

Aerobic exercise, such as running, swimming, and dancing, may be most effective for relieving the symptoms of depression and anxiety, finds an overarching (umbrella) review and data synthesis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

10 Feb 2026

Dementia Care Aware partners with IHI to advance age-friendly care

Dementia Care Aware (DCA) is collaborating with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to support its March 2026 Action Community, a community learning experience that helps health systems across the country implement the 4Ms Framework of an Age-Friendly Health System.

10 Feb 2026

Work productivity declines for adults living with tinnitus symptoms

A new study has revealed the significant effect tinnitus can have on people's working lives, with nearly one in five adults reporting they have had to cut their working hours or leave employment altogether because of the condition.

10 Feb 2026

Choroid plexus enlargement in Long COVID signals cognitive risk

The increased size of, and lesser blood supply to, a key brain structure in patients with Long COVID tracks with known blood markers of Alzheimer's disease and greater levels of dementia, a new study finds.

10 Feb 2026

Research provide new insights into the brain mechanisms underlying juvenile fibromyalgia

Children and adolescents affected by juvenile fibromyalgia show greater sensitivity to non-painful sensory stimuli, such as sounds and bright lights.

9 Feb 2026

Intense exercise proves more effective for panic disorder treatment

Panic attacks are sudden bouts of intense fear without an obvious cause. An estimated 10% of people experience at least one panic attack in their lifetime.

9 Feb 2026

Most statin side effects are not backed by trials

Research indicates that many statin therapy side effects are not supported by evidence, suggesting a need for revised labeling to improve treatment decisions.

9 Feb 2026

Public health workers are quitting over assignments to Guantánamo

Rebekah Stewart, a nurse at the U.S. Public Health Service, got a call last April that brought her to tears. She had been selected for deployment to the Trump administration's new immigration detention operation at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

9 Feb 2026

Novel neuroprotective drug improves recovery after acute ischemic stroke

Stroke patients treated intravenously with loberamisal, a novel neuroprotective medication, daily for 10 days and starting within 48 hours of stroke symptoms, had better recovery than patients who received a placebo, according to a preliminary late-breaking science presentation at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2026.

7 Feb 2026

High-dose motor therapy improves outcomes after perinatal stroke

In infants and toddlers who had a stroke before birth or as a newborn (28 days or younger), a treatment that combined restricting the use of the stronger arm with intensive task-oriented physical therapy led to improved function and skill gained on the weak side compared to standard care, according to preliminary late-breaking science presented today at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2026.

7 Feb 2026

Electroacupuncture relieves pain-induced anxiety through prefrontal neural circuits

Neuropathic pain, caused by injury or disease of the somatosensory nervous system, is a major clinical challenge and often evolves into a chronic condition.

7 Feb 2026

Preoperative factors predict persistent opioid use after surgery

For many Americans, a routine surgical procedure serves as their first introduction to opioid pain medication.

5 Feb 2026

Brain connectivity fingerprints differ in major depressive disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating condition that affects more than 246 million people worldwide, yet scientists have struggled to identify consistent brain markers that could improve diagnosis and treatment.

5 Feb 2026

Hormonal contraceptives show differing heart risks among stressed women

Antonia Seligowski, PhD, of the Neurocardiac Effects of Stress & Trauma Laboratory within the Department of Psychiatry at Mass General Brigham, is the senior author of a paper published in JAMA Network Open, "Hormonal contraceptive use, stress disorders, and cardiovascular and thrombotic risk in women."

5 Feb 2026

How personality and social media support together relate to anxiety levels

Emotional support perceived through social media was statistically associated with lower anxiety among U.S. young adults, particularly females, in a large cross-sectional survey study. Personality traits, including openness, extraversion, agreeableness, and lower conscientiousness, predicted greater perceived online emotional support, although causal direction remains unclear.

5 Feb 2026