Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

Hostility, anger and depression could increase risk for heart disease in men

Men who are hostile and prone to frequent intense feelings of anger and depression could be harming their immune systems and putting themselves at risk for coronary heart disease as well as related disorders like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, a new study finds.

2 Aug 2007

Fear protein found

A University of Iowa study shows that loss or chemical inhibition of a protein, known as acid sensing ion channel protein (ASIC1a), reduces innate fear behavior in lab animals, making normally timid mice relatively fearless.

2 Aug 2007

Schizophrenia improved by mental and physical exercise

Scientists at Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute have shown that mental and physical exercise can improve behavioural deficits in schizophrenia and repair damaged chemical transmitter pathways in the brain.

1 Aug 2007

Bipolar disorder phenome database

A novel, free, public online database opening this week should greatly speed efforts to find genes linked to increase risk of bipolar disorder.

1 Aug 2007

High rates of posttraumatic stress disorder after war in Uganda

A survey of adults displaced by war in northern Uganda found high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, and that these individuals were more likely to favor violent means to end the conflict compared to persons without these symptoms, according to a study in the August 1 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on violence and human rights.

1 Aug 2007

Displaced adolescent girls benefit from group therapy

Group interpersonal psychotherapy is effective in reducing depressive symptoms among adolescent girls affected by war and displacement, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions. However, the same treatment was not as effective in boys.

31 Jul 2007

Severe trauma affect kid's brain function

The first study to examine brain activity patterns in severely traumatized children showed their brains function differently than those of healthy children, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

30 Jul 2007

Severe trauma affects kids' brain function

27 Jul 2007

Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes

Further evidence that using cannabis could increase the risk of developing a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, later in life, is revealed today in a study published in The Lancet.

27 Jul 2007

Smoking may not help relieve real anxiety

Many smokers excuse their habit by claiming that smoking relieves their feelings of stress.

26 Jul 2007

Brain chip could predict and stop epilepsy seizures

An implanted stimulator being studied at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital may be able to predict and prevent seizures before they start in people with uncontrolled epilepsy.

26 Jul 2007

Home based support for disadvantaged adult mothers

The idea makes sense: Partner indigent mothers with a mentor who offers parenting and health advice and helps find resources in the community.

25 Jul 2007

Faster-acting antidepressant medications

A new study has revealed more about how the medication ketamine, when used experimentally for depression, relieves symptoms of the disorder in hours instead of the weeks or months it takes for current antidepressants to work.

25 Jul 2007

Incarcerated girls fare worse than boys

A new study reveals that girls in juvenile detention centers face surprisingly different psychological issues than average teen girls and, in some ways, more severe than problems incarcerated boys.

25 Jul 2007

Low literacy can shorten life

Not being able to read doesn't just make it harder to navigate each day. Low literacy impairs people's ability to obtain critical information about their health and can dramatically shorten their lives.

24 Jul 2007

Double depression

There's depression, and then there's double depression.

24 Jul 2007

Nicotine rush hinges on sugar in neurons

As with other questions involving good sensations, the answer appears to be sugar.

23 Jul 2007

Urgent needs of HIV-positive women discussed

Women Living Positive, a roundtable discussion at the IAS congress in Sydney, featured the perspectives of an international panel, including experts in HIV research and medicine, an HIV-positive woman and a member of Australia's National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA), on the progress that has been made, and what remains to be done to address the needs of HIV-positive women.

23 Jul 2007

Health-care providers could help avert depression in fathers of children with fatal cancer

Adequately preparing parents, intellectually and emotionally, for the death of their child is associated with parents’ future health, according to an Article published Online this week and in The Lancet Oncology special edition on paediatric oncology.

23 Jul 2007

European watchdog warns about dangers of Acomplia

The European Medicines Agency has warned consumers that the weight loss drug Acomplia heightens the risk of suicide among those taking anti-depressants.

21 Jul 2007