Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

New research reveals music's health benefits

Music has been incorporated into medical practice since before the ancient Greeks. However, though practitioners have been convinced of music's health benefits for thousands of years, there had been little peer-reviewed research to back them up. But recent studies are providing an empirical backbone for the anecdotal evidence.

17 Dec 2012

Accidental exposure to buprenorphine can make children extremely sick

Buprenorphine is a safe and effective drug for treating opioid addiction. But as the prescribed use of buprenorphine has dramatically increased in recent years, accidental exposure of children to the drug has risen sharply, placing them at risk for serious injury and in extremely rare cases even death, according to researchers at the Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC), U School of Medicine's Department of Family and Preventive Health, and the Utah Department of Health (UDOH).

15 Dec 2012

Glutamate linked to suicidal behavior

Researchers have found the first proof that a chemical in the brain called glutamate is linked to suicidal behavior, offering new hope for efforts to prevent people from taking their own lives.

15 Dec 2012

Research roundup: Workers' insurance costs vary depending on employers' size; Seniors mental health needs often unmet

Survey -- The authors of this analysis provide a detailed look at the availability of health coverage at small and large employers, as well as the variations in plan costs and cost-sharing requirements.

15 Dec 2012

FDA approves Novartis Signifor injection for treatment of Cushing's disease

Novartis announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Signifor (pasireotide) injection for the treatment of adult patients with Cushing's disease for whom pituitary surgery is not an option or has not been curative.

14 Dec 2012

Cognitive therapy may reduce anxiety in bipolar patients

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy may help reduce symptoms of anxiety in patients with bipolar disorder, researchers report.

14 Dec 2012

Longer looks: 'Reckless' drug prescriptions lead to patient deaths; The struggles to reopen NY hospitals

Dr. Carlos Estiandan was up to no good, and the medical board of California was on to him. He prescribed powerful painkillers to addicts who had no medical need for them, conducted sham examinations and appeared to be a key supplier for drug dealers, according to court records. He wrote more prescriptions than the entire staffs of some hospitals and took in more than $1 million a year.

14 Dec 2012

New evidence about benefits of marriage

There's new evidence about the benefits of marriage. Women who are married suffer less partner abuse, substance abuse or post-partum depression around the time of pregnancy than women who are cohabitating or do not have a partner, a new study has found.

14 Dec 2012

CBT most effective for children with post-traumatic stress disorder

Research published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews confirms the effectiveness of psychologic therapy for children with post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy.

13 Dec 2012

LED light instantly triggers or reverses depression-like behavior in rodents

A specific pattern of neuronal firing in a brain reward circuit instantly rendered mice vulnerable to depression-like behavior induced by acute severe stress, a study supported by the National Institutes of Health has found. When researchers used a high-tech method to mimic the pattern, previously resilient mice instantly succumbed to a depression-like syndrome of social withdrawal and reduced pleasure-seeking - they avoided other animals and lost their sweet tooth.

13 Dec 2012

Fatal imbalance between global disease burden and drug development

Despite important progress in research and development (R&D) for global health over the past decade, only a small fraction of new medicines developed between 2000 and 2011 were for the treatment of neglected diseases, highlighting the 'fatal imbalance' between global disease burden and drug development for some of the world most devastating illnesses, said Doctors Without Borders/M-decins Sans Fronti-res (MSF) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), in an analysis to be presented today at an international conference aimed at spurring medical innovations for these diseases.

13 Dec 2012

Change of fatty diet can cause feelings like drug withdrawal and depression

Even before obesity occurs, eating fatty and sugary foods causes chemical changes in the brain, meaning that going on a diet might feel similar to going through drug withdrawal, according to a study published today by Dr. Stephanie Fulton of the University of Montreal's Faculty of Medicine and its affiliated CRCHUM Hospital Research Centre.

13 Dec 2012

Survey finds serious shortfalls in quality of mental health care for older adults

Large majorities of older Americans with depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders are receiving treatment that does not meet evidence-based standards, and many do not know that depression can put their health at increased risk, according to a national survey, "Silver and Blue: The Unfinished Business of Mental Health Care for Older Adults," released today by the John A. Hartford Foundation.

13 Dec 2012

AZD6765 briefly improves treatment-resistant patients' depression symptoms in minutes

A drug that works through the same brain mechanism as the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine briefly improved treatment-resistant patients' depression symptoms in minutes, with minimal untoward side effects, in a clinical trial conducted by the National Institutes of Health. The experimental agent, called AZD6765, acts through the brain's glutamate chemical messenger system.

13 Dec 2012

Takeda, Lundbeck announce FDA acceptance of vortioxetine NDA submission

Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Inc., (Takeda) and H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) jointly announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing their submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) for vortioxetine for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adult patients.

13 Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Pelosi says higher Medicare age 'doesn't work;' Marketplace's clout could lower seniors' drug costs

In the talks to avert the fiscal cliff, the idea of raising the Medicare age is central to the Republican proposal. There's just one critical problem: It doesn't work. It doesn't have public support. It's unfair. And it doesn't lower health expenditures. Such a proposal is a reflection of the broader Republican plan: an assault on the middle class, seniors -- and our future.

12 Dec 2012

Children with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may benefit from psychological therapies

Children suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of traumatic events, including child abuse, may benefit from psychological therapies, according to a review published in The Cochrane Library.

12 Dec 2012

Benzodiazepines associated with fatal pneumonia

Benzodiazepines are associated with an increased risk for developing pneumonia, as well as an increased risk for dying from pneumonia, research shows.

12 Dec 2012

Kaiser Permanente suggests simple steps to improve overall health

Kaiser Permanente Southern California wants you to take a 12 minute break and think about how you're going to achieve total health this New Year to become a better you!

12 Dec 2012

Bipolar and borderline personality disorder associated with unemployment

Unemployment poses a significant burden on the public no matter what the cause. But for those who have been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness, chronic unemployment is often coupled with significant health care costs. A Rhode Island Hospital study compared unemployment rates among those with various psychiatric disorders, and found that borderline personality disorder is associated with as much unemployment as bipolar disorder.

12 Dec 2012