Depression Archives

Smoking Greatly Increases Risk of Depression - April 25, 2008

Smokers are far more likely to suffer from depression than non-smokers shows new research from Spain's University of Navarra and University of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria and the Harvard School of Public Health. For six years, researchers studied 8,556...
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History of Depression Increases Alzheimer's Risk - April 14, 2008

Individuals who have suffered depression are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease later in life than those who have not, according to a study published in the current edition of Neurology. The study examined 486 people between the ages of...
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Low Testosterone Linked to Male Depression - March 4, 2008

In the early years of life, women are more likely than men to be depressed. As we age, however, rates of male depression soar to near-equal levels with women. New research provides strong evidence that this may be due to...
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When Medication Fails, Combination Therapy May Help Depressed Teens - February 27, 2008

For the 40 percent of clinically depressed teenagers who do not respond to their first antidepressant treatment, a combination of medication and psychotherapy has an excellent chance of providing successful treatment. Research published in this week's Journal of the American...
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PsychBriefs: February 10-16, 2008 - February 15, 2008

Our weekly wrap-up of news, interesting research, and noteworthy happenings in the worlds of psychiatry, psychology, and social work. People Ignore New Opinions When They Feel Powerful A series of experiments published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology...
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9/11 Continues to Impact America's Mental Health - February 11, 2008

Fear of terrorism following the September 11th attacks continues to impact the mental health of American citizens on a micro-level, shows a new study focusing not on New Yorkers, but rather, Midwesterners. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago...
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Chronic Pain Alters Brain Function - February 6, 2008

Chronic pain is often only the start of the problem for sufferers, who also suffer high rates of depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. New research from Northwestern University shows the pain may cause a cognitive impairment which contributes to these...
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Depression Most Persistent in Older Women - February 5, 2008

Older women are more likely to become depressed than older men and more likely to stay that way, shows a study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine. The study monitored 754 seniors age 70 and older from 1998 to...
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Midlife Crisis A Global Phenomenon - January 31, 2008

The happiest times occur early and late in life while midlife proves to be a low-point, shows a new analysis of depression across the world. Analyzing several mental health surveys including the US General Social Surveys (GSS) and the World...
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Antidepressant Success May Be Greatly Exaggerated - January 18, 2008

A new review of trials on commonly prescribed antidepressants shows these drugs have only about a 50-50 percent chance of successfully treating depression, despite reports of far higher success rates. The selective publication of almost exclusively positive studies has created...
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PsychBriefs: December 30, 2007-January 5, 2008 - January 4, 2008

Our weekly wrap-up of news, interesting research, and noteworthy happenings in the worlds of psychiatry, psychology, and social work. Stress Hormones Drop Fast in Happy Marriages A study of 60 couples living in Los Angeles shows that levels of stress...
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Exercise Lowers Anxiety and Stress in Menopausal Women - January 3, 2008

Women entering and progressing through menopause have one more piece of information to add to their arsenal. According to a nine-year study conducted by Deborah Nelson, PhD, and her colleagues at Temple University, walking an hour and a half a...
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PsychBriefs: December 9-15, 2007 - December 14, 2007

Natural Hormone May Treat Depression Erythropoietin (Epo), a hormone produced by the kidneys which stimulates the production of red blood cells, may be key to a broader treatment of depression. A study involving functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) showed that...
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Initial Screenings of Soldiers Returning from Deployment Missed Majority of Mental Health Problems - November 14, 2007

Previous reports focusing only on early screenings of military returning from the war in Iraq missed the majority of mental health problems ultimately faced by soldiers, shows a study published in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical...
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Combination Therapy Best Addresses Teen Depression - November 6, 2007

According to the most recent report from the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS) in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, together, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication -- in this instance fluoxetine (Prozac), has both short- and...
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Report Rates Depression Risk by Occupation - October 22, 2007

Is your job bringing you down? The problem could be the field you work in, shows a new report from the the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on depression in working adults by occupational field. Surveys completed...
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PsychBriefs: October 14-20, 2007 - October 19, 2007

Schools Providing Inadequate Mental Health Aid Katrina-Affected Students A study by RAND Health shows that schools have not sustained mental health support to students affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. While initial aid was adequate, the report now shows...
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PsychBriefs: October 6-12, 2007 - October 12, 2007

Medication May Treat Alcoholism Topiramate, an anticonvulsant used to control seizures, has been shown to perform better than a placebo in treating alcoholism. Researchers tested 371 alcohol-dependent men and women in a randomized 14-week trial and found that 8.44 percent...
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Two Genes Shown to Increase Risk for Suicidal Ideation - October 1, 2007

Can a simple test predict your risk for suicidal thoughts? A DNA study has identified two genes that increase the risk of suicidal thoughts in patients taking antidepressants by as much as 50 percent. The study examined the DNA of...
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PsychBriefs: September 23-29, 2007 - September 28, 2007

Could Alzheimer's Be "Type III" Diabetes? New research from Northwestern University researchers shows that Amyloid beta oglimers in the brain of Alzheimer's patients remove insulin receptors from nerve cells, rendering neurons insulin resistent, thereby disrupting learning and memory functions. [ABSTRACT]...
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Childhood Abuse Linked to Adult Migraines - September 18, 2007

Physical or sexual abuse experienced in childhood may predispose victims to migraine with depression">depression later in life, shows a study of 949 female migraine sufferers. The research, conducted by Dr. Gretchen Tietjen, a neurologist at the University of Toledo, shows...
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Teen Suicides Increase After Antidepressant Warnings - September 6, 2007

In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European regulators issued warnings against the use of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in children and adolescents. Shortly thereafter, the FDA issued a mandate stating that these medications...
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Depression Treatment May Trigger Thoughts of Suicide in Genetically Predisposed Men - July 14, 2007

A study of 1,447 people with depression, conducted by Roy H. Perlis, M.D. of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and his colleagues found that 10 percent of the men studied expressed suicidal thoughts during at least one follow...
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Antidepressants Pose Small Risk During Pregnancy - July 2, 2007

Two studies published in the June issue of the New England Journal of Medicine show that exposure to serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac and Paxil is not a significant cause of birth defects. Interviewing more than 9.000...
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Why Quarrelling Siblings Risk Depression - June 7, 2007

Another reason to make nice with your brothers and sisters: Siblings who don't get along or are distant before age 20 have an increased risk of becoming depressed for the next thirty years. A report appearing in the June American...
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Can A Walk In The Park Cure Depression?: Ecotherapy Vs. Antidepressants - May 14, 2007

Imagine going to the psychiatrist and walking out with a prescription for a few weeks of farm work. This happens to residents of European countries such as Holland where 600 "care farms" are integrated into the health system for this...
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PsychBriefs: April 28-May 4, 2007 - May 4, 2007

Our weekly wrap-up of news, interesting research, and noteworthy happenings in the worlds of psychiatry, psychology, and social work. This week: April 28-May 4, 2007. Mentally Ill Die 25 Years Earlier People treated for serious mental illness in public systems...
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Maternal Depression May Predict Behavior in ADHD Kids - April 19, 2007

A mother's mental health is crucial to any child, but for children with ADHD, it may be the difference between a smooth childhood and one filled with errant behaviors such as fighting, bullying and theft, shows University of Maryland research...
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1/4 Of Depression Diagnoses Not Really Depression - April 3, 2007

A study of more than 8000 patients published in the Archives of General Psychiatry suggests that many cases of major depression are actually false positives, normal but temporary responses to life events such as death or divorce. Researchers surveyed the...
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Less Than 1/3 of American Mental Health Disorders Treated - March 27, 2007

A survey of Americans' psychiatric needs shows that while almost 30 percent of the population suffers from mental health disorders, less than one-third of those affected receive treatment for them. The study, which involved comprehensive interviews of 816 people from...
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Analysis: Depression in U.S. Blacks Less Common But More Severe - March 20, 2007

Depression weighs heavily upon U.S. blacks, a new study shows, despite lower rates of major depressive disorders. Analyzing self-reports from 6,082 African-Americans, Caribbean-Americans and non-Hispanic whites, researchers found that while 18 percent of whites had experienced a major depressive disorder...
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Depressed Elderly May Die Younger - March 8, 2007

Elderly people with physical ills are highly likely to suffer from depression which in turn greatly increases the likelihood of early death, report University of Liverpool researchers. In a project involving more than 300 elderly people who had been discharged...
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The Face of Male Depression - March 1, 2007

Researchers estimate that more than 6 million men in the United States suffer from depression. And yet, as we reported in October, many fail to seek treatment or even realize what's wrong with them. Recognizing depression in men can be...
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Life Harder on Teen Girls, Depression Study Shows - February 8, 2007

A shocking number of young women age 15 to 24--about 20 percent--is affected by major depression, studies show, making them more likely to attempt suicide, abuse alcohol and enter into abusive relationships. New findings from the University of South Carolina...
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Loneliness, Depression Bad for Mind, Body and Soul - February 6, 2007

A set of studies published in this month's issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry suggest that social isolation and depression are bad for both mental and physical health. More than 800 senior citizens were evaluated for loneliness on a...
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Warning: Antidepressants Double Fracture Risks in Older Patients - January 31, 2007

Health professionals prescribing antidepressants to older adults should be on the alert: Daily use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Paxil or Prozac has been found to double the risk of fractures in osteoporatic patients, report McGill University...
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Antidepressants Superior to Therapy in Treating Depression After Heart Attack - January 24, 2007

A Canadian study of cardiac patients has shown the antidepressant Celexa (Citalopram) to be successful in treating the severe depression experienced by nearly one-third of heart attack sufferers. Talk therapy, meanwhile, appeared to have no effect. The study focused on...
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Migraine-Depression Link Reported - January 9, 2007

A survey of more than a thousand female headache sufferers shows that women who suffer from migraine symptoms and severe related symptoms have a 32-fold increase for depression. Women who experienced chronic headaches (15 or more per month) were furthermore...
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'Dawn Simulation' Provides AlternateTreatment for SAD - January 8, 2007

Two new therapies have shown to be successful at treating people suffering from the winter blues. Dawn simulation, which uses a bedside machine to gradually deliver light at the same time as the summer sunrise, and negative air ionization have...
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Childhood Physical Abuse Shown to Cause Adult Depression - January 2, 2007

Children who are physically abused have a 59 percent higher chance of developing major depression later in life compared to other children, shows a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The study followed 680 abused children and 520...
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Depression Often Follows Head Injury - December 28, 2006

People who sustain head injuries are at a high risk for depression new research shows. An alarming 33 percent of patients who suffered head injury in a study developed a "major depressive disorder" within one year. These patients were also...
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Acupuncture Helpful But Inadequate Treatment for Depression - December 27, 2006

Following two studies showing the ancient treatment to successfully treat symptoms of depression in young women and pregnant women, University of Arizona researcher Dr. John J. B. Allen reports acupuncture alone is not an adequate treatment for depression. A current...
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Depression and Anxiety Worsen for 76% of Sufferers Around Holidays - December 20, 2006

Results of a poll released by the Canadian Mental Health Association shows the holiday season taking quite a toll on mental health with the general population citing "added social pressure, financial stress, raised holiday expectations, an increased feeling of loneliness,...
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How Patients Request Antidepressants Affects Physician Care - December 11, 2006

A study by University of California at San Francisco researchers shows that patients who approach physicians with a general interest in antidepressants are more thoroughly evaluated for depression than patients who request specific medications or merely describe depressive symptoms. Eighteen...
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New Moms at Greatest Risk for Postpartum Depression - December 7, 2006

The first few weeks following childbirth are the riskiest time for postpartum depression, says a new Danish study. This time is especially risky for new mothers who are seven times more likely than women with other children to be hospitalized...
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Depression Screening and Intervention Cost-Effective for Employers - December 6, 2006

Using a five-year simulated model, researchers at Harvard Medical School and the National Institute for Health estimated that implementing advanced outreach programs for depression would save employers an average of about $3,000 per 1000 workers. These results "may seem counterintuitive...
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Depression Linked to Osteoporosis, Bone Pain - November 21, 2006

Hebrew University scientists studying a link between depression and osteoporosis found that rats induced into a depressive state lost up to 17 percent of their bone density in just four weeks. Researchers theorize this is due to impairment in the...
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Depression, PTSD After Breast Cancer Diagnosis - November 17, 2006

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and major depression are among the significant mental health problems experienced by the majority of women following a breast cancer diagnosis according to new research by scientists at Dartmouth University. Contacting 236 newly diagnosed women who...
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Vitamins, Fish Oil May Help Treat Depression - November 14, 2006

Dietitians at Sydney University in Australia have identified several nutritional supplements which may aid in treating depression. Their study, published in Nutrition & Dietetics, found St. John's Wart, vitamins B-6, B-12, folate, the essential amino acid tryptophan and the chemical...
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13 Percent of Teens with Problem Acne Attempt Suicide - November 13, 2006

Acne may have devastating effects on the mental health of teenagers, a new study shows. In a New Zealand study of nearly 9570 students age 12 to 18, nearly 35 percent of the students with problem acne also reported suicidal...
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New Model for Brain Chemistry of Depression - November 9, 2006

Levels of neurotransmitters called monoamines, which include serotonin, dopamine and neurepinephrine, have long been believed to be lower in the brain during depressive episodes. However, scientists have only just been able to create a convincing model to explain this loss....
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Gene Linked to Depression Found to Enlarge Brain Region - November 8, 2006

A variation of a gene linked to mental illness has been found to shape the pulvinar, a part of the brain associated with negative emotions. University of Texas researchers studied the brains of 49 deceased people, finding that those who...
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'Spiritual' People More Depressed Than 'Religious' Counterparts - November 6, 2006

While past research has shown that being religious--participating in organized worship services--is tied to lower rates of depression, a new Canadian study shows that being spiritual--searching for a meaning to life--is actually associated with higher risk of depression and anxiety....
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Two-Thirds of Depressed Patients Curable in One to Four Treatment Steps - November 1, 2006

A study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) shows that more than two-thirds of patients can be relieved of depression if they work with doctors to try several medications and/or therapies until they find the best treatment...
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Study: Job Strain, Depression and Burnout - October 20, 2006

Finnish researchers have found a correlation between job strain and depression, says a study published in this month's Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Questioning 3,270 workers, researchers found that high job strain was the biggest risk factor for depression...
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Study: Spouse Personality and Recovery - October 11, 2006

A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology says having a neurotic or anxious spouse may hinder your recovery after a major health crisis, while having a positive spouse can help it. Researchers assessed personality, signs of...
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Depression After Heart Attack Strong Indicator of Future Health - October 11, 2006

About one in five patients who suffers a heart attack will become depressed in the first year of recovery. While many physicians perceive this as a normal, passing reaction to such a serious health crisis, a new study published by...
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Family Environment Can Reverse Depression Gene, Study Says - October 10, 2006

A study by UCLA researchers in the current edition of Biological Psychiatry shows that for people with the short version of the 5-HTTLPR gene, a variation linked to predisposition for depression, having a supportive, loving family early in life significantly...
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Neuroticism May Predict Depression - October 5, 2006

A longitudinal study of more than 20,000 Swedish twins has found the personality trait of neuroticism is a strong predictor of the development of major depression later in life. Between 1972 and 1973, the twins answered questionnaires related to neuroticism...
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Genetics May Help Fine-Tune Antidepressant Prescription - October 4, 2006

Scientists at the Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine have found a genetic variation that influences how patients respond to different classes of antidepressants. Of 241 male and female Korean patients with major late-life depression, 136 were treated with selective serotonin...
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Club Drug Ketamine Could Conquer Depression - September 29, 2006

A study by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of 18 treatment-resistant patients suffering from major depression found that a single dose of ketamine, a human and veterinary anaesthetic known for its recreational among ravers and partiers,...
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Stereotypes, Stigma Prevent Depressed Men From Seeking Treatment - September 28, 2006

Older men are less likely than older women to seek treatment for depression or to recognize its symptoms due to traditional ideas about masculinity and the stigma of depression, says a study published in the October 2006 edition of the...
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Scientists Establish Link Between Popular Acne Drug and Depression - September 21, 2006

Researchers at the University of Bath have released results of a study showing a link between the acne drug Roaccutane (often marketed as Accutane in the U.S.) and depression in mice. Scientists injected mice with 13-cis-retinoic acid, the active ingredient...
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Short-lived Depressive Symptoms in Teens Lead Scientists to Re-examine Antidepressant Evaluation Methods - September 16, 2006

A study published in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology showed that the the short duration of depressive symptoms in teens makes it difficult to gauge the efficacy of antidepressants versus placebos. In a naturalistic study of...
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Depression Linked to Risky Sex Behavior in African-American Youth - September 5, 2006

A new study from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center and Brown Medical School reveals that African American adolescents with symptoms of depression are more than four times likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. The study asked four hundred...
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Hopkins Research Shows Chronic Depression Genetically Linked - September 5, 2006

A study published in the American Journal of Psychology shows that chronic depression is more than twice as likely to occur in people whose close relatives developed chronic depression early in life. Results of the study...with Johns Hopkins psychiatrist James...
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Depression-Resistant Mice May Hold Key to Human Happiness - August 23, 2006

Researchers at McGill University and the University of Nice, France, have created a permanently happy breed of mouse. So-called 'knock-out' mice were bred without TREK-1, a gene blocking the transmission of serotonin in the brain. Put through a series of...
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Doctors Fail to Treat Nearly Two-Thirds of Depressed Pregnant Women - August 14, 2006

Research at the University of Michigan Depression Center recently published in General Hospital Psychiatry has found that the "majority of pregnant women who have full-blown major depression aren't getting any treatment for the condition, and neither are most pregnant women...
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Is Marriage Good For You? It Is If You Are Depressed. - August 13, 2006

A new evaluation of the National Survey of Families and Households performed at Ohio State University questions the old belief that marriage is good for everyone. Going in the examiners thought that depressed people would benefit less from being married...
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