Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

Gene variant doubles risk for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have identified a previously unknown gene variant that doubles an individual's risk for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

11 Apr 2006

Alcohol use, comorbidity, and mortality

Older men who drink as few as two drinks twice a week and also have diseases that could be worsened by alcohol or cause problems with medications taken while drinking alcohol have higher death rates, as compared to men who either drink less or may drink more but don't have such comorbidities.

11 Apr 2006

Depression is an often undiagnosed source of suffering for elderly

Elderly patients with lesser versions of depression, a group many times larger than those with major depression, are more than five times as likely as healthy patients to descend into major depression within one year, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

11 Apr 2006

Early transition to menopause may increase risk for first onset of depression

Women with no history of depression may be at an increased risk of new onset depressive symptoms and disorders as they transition to menopause, according to two studies in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

7 Apr 2006

Doctors must listen when patients talk of a failing memory

A team at the Aging and Memory Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, has found that a higher self awareness of memory difficulties may be associated with brain function decline over time, particularly in older adults with a genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.

6 Apr 2006

Staggering costs of sleep disorders and sleep deprivation on the nation

According to a new report by the Institute of Medicine ( IOM), 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from a disorder of sleep and wakefulness, which adversely affects daily functioning, health and longevity.

5 Apr 2006

Man takes 40,000 ecstasy pills in nine years

Researchers from London University have revealed details of a man who claims to have taken 40,000 ecstasy pills over nine year period.

5 Apr 2006

Menopause linked with the onset of depression

Two new studies say women with no history of depression may be at an increased risk of depressive symptoms and disorders as they enter menopause.

5 Apr 2006

Higher self awareness of memory difficulties may be associated with brain function decline over time

Published in the April issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, the study offers a greater understanding of how different types and varying degrees of memory complaints may relate to brain function decline, a finding that may lead to early treatment interventions for people who could develop Alzheimer's disease.

4 Apr 2006

If you're middle age and sleep five or less hours a night, you may be increasing your risk of developing high blood pressure

"Sleep allows the heart to slow down and blood pressure to drop for a significant part of the day," said James E. Gangwisch, PhD, lead author of the study and post-doctoral fellow in the psychiatric epidemiology training (PET) program at the Mailman School.

4 Apr 2006

Functional magnetic resonance imaging can predict effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy for treating depression

Whether or not cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) will help a person recover from depression can be predicted through brain imaging, according to research results published by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the April issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

4 Apr 2006

Effects of weight training on quality of life in recent breast cancer survivors

Weight training significantly improves the quality of life of women recently treated for breast cancer, according to a new study.

4 Apr 2006

New guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson disease

New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology aim to educate physicians on the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson disease and provide people with Parkinson disease an improved quality of life.

3 Apr 2006

Depression and urinary incontinence go hand in hand

Canadian researchers say that women who suffer from urinary incontinence are at nearly twice the risk of depression compared to women without the embarrassing disorder.

28 Mar 2006

Depression treatment may require different drugs for different people

If a first antidepressant medication doesn't work, try a different one, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

27 Mar 2006

Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome - new syndrome in women not much fun!

A new syndrome affecting women has been identified by doctors; the sexual condition tentatively named 'Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome', (PSAS), has as its primary symptom continual unrelieved feelings of genital arousal in the absence of genuine sexual interest or desire.

27 Mar 2006

Weight training significantly improves the quality of life of women recently treated for breast cancer

Published in the May 1, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates six months of twice weekly exercise that improved strength and body composition was enough to result in improvements in the overall physical and emotional condition of the patients.

27 Mar 2006

Children whose mothers are depressed are more likely to suffer from anxiety

...mental-health problems and disruptive behavior than those whose moms aren't. And if the mothers don't get better, these kids' problems often become worse, new research shows.

23 Mar 2006

Increasing age does not necessarily cause a reduction in the quality of life

Research published online this month in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, describes how researchers looked at indicators of the quality of life, and found that in England it is above average between the ages of 50 and 84, and in some cases increases compared with earlier years.

23 Mar 2006

Extreme personality poses risk of ADHD

Children with personalities marked by aggressiveness, mood swings, a sense of alienation and a need for excitement may be at greater risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or conduct disorder, according to a new Florida State University study.

23 Mar 2006