Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

MRI scans reveal why young women face higher risk for eating disorders

Advanced high-field MRI reveals distinct microstructural changes in hypothalamic subregions of young women with anorexia nervosa and obesity. These alterations may underlie increased vulnerability to eating disorders and point toward new neurobiological treatment targets.

26 May 2025

More β-carotene in diet reduces psychosomatic symptoms in youth

Higher intake of β-carotene, a marker of fruit and vegetable consumption, is linked to lower anxiety, fewer psychosomatic symptoms, and better quality of life in Swedish adolescents. No significant mental health benefits were found for vitamin E, while vitamin C was only associated with fewer psychosomatic symptoms.

26 May 2025

Stress-induced sleep may hold the key to faster recovery

A new Neuron perspective reveals that stress can both disrupt and promote sleep, with specific brain circuits making stress-induced sleep a potential tool for recovery. This insight may lead to innovative approaches for building resilience and treating stress-related disorders.

25 May 2025

Tufts researchers develop dental floss sensor for real time stress monitoring

Chronic stress can lead to increased blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, decreased immune function, depression, and anxiety.

23 May 2025

Oral microbiota transmission linked to shared depression and anxiety in couples

Oral microbiota dysbiosis and altered salivary cortisol levels have been linked to depression and anxiety.

23 May 2025

Mild winter temperatures offer surprising mental health benefits

Higher ambient temperatures during the cold season were linked to reduced stress, improved life satisfaction, better self-reported health, and less loneliness in a large Swiss population study. While effects were modest at the individual level, they highlight the broader mental health impacts of seasonal temperature changes.

22 May 2025

Blood markers offer hope for early detection of teen depression

Using a novel lab method they developed, McGill University researchers have identified nine molecules in the blood that were elevated in teens diagnosed with depression.

22 May 2025

Catalpol shows neuroprotective effects across multiple neurologic conditions

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. Neurologic disorders are the leading cause of illness and disability as a result of increased life expectancy and global population aging, highlighting the urgent need and great challenge for discovering neuroprotective agents with better efficacy and minimal side-effects.

22 May 2025

Positive self-perceptions about aging linked to better post-fall physical recovery

There is a strong association between an older person's view of how they are aging and how well they will physically recover after a fall.

22 May 2025

Long-term antidepressant use linked to higher risk of withdrawal symptoms

People who have been taking antidepressants for more than two years are substantially more likely to experience withdrawal symptoms compared to short-term users when they come off the medication, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

21 May 2025

Vitamin D supplements help preserve telomere length in aging adults

Results from the VITAL randomized controlled trial reveal that vitamin D supplementation helps maintain telomeres, protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten during aging and are linked to the development of certain diseases.

21 May 2025

New strategy improves screening rates for anxiety and depression among epilepsy patients

A new study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine shows an improvement in screening rates for anxiety and depression among epilepsy patients with the implementation of an electronic health record (EHR)-based strategy.

21 May 2025

Mount Sinai researchers explore new depression treatment targeting brain’s potassium channels

A mechanism involving potassium channels in the brain that control brain cell activity could provide a new and fundamentally different way of treating depression symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder, according to two complementary papers published recently by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

21 May 2025

Depression and loneliness predict future chronic pain in older adults

Researchers tracked more than 7,000 older adults in England and found that loneliness and depression increased years before the onset of chronic pain, and remained elevated long after pain began. Social isolation also rose with age, but differences between those with and without pain were minimal.

21 May 2025

Microplastics in ultra-processed foods may fuel mental health risks, experts warn

New research highlights a possible link between microplastics in ultra-processed foods and rising rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep problems. Experts call for urgent investigation as microplastic accumulation in the human brain increases alongside ultra-processed food intake.

21 May 2025

UArizona researchers uncover new way to ease postoperative pain in women

University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers identified a potential way to reduce female post-operative pain by inhibiting pituitary prolactin generated by pre-operative stress.

20 May 2025

Long COVID linked to rising anxiety and depression in children

A new study from Kennedy Krieger Institute is calling attention to an emerging mental health crisis among children with long COVID. Researchers found that nearly 40% of pediatric patients with long COVID reported feeling significant symptoms of anxiety or depression.

20 May 2025

Lifelong mental health struggles found in young adult cancer survivors

Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors exhibit persistently elevated levels of depression and anxiety throughout their lifespan, but only symptoms of anxiety tend to stabilize in their later years, say University of Michigan researchers.

19 May 2025

Personality traits influence risk and persistence of insomnia

A study conducted at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil examined the influence of personality traits on the development and perpetuation of insomnia and found that there is a direct relationship between the two.

19 May 2025

Higher McCance Brain Care Score linked to lower stroke risk in women

Women with a higher McCance Brain Care Score (BCS) – a score that measures physical, lifestyle, and social-emotional factors – have a lower risk of experiencing a stroke or other cerebrovascular event reducing blood flow to the brain, according to a new study conducted by experts from Mass General Brigham.

19 May 2025