Depression

Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain. It's more than just a feeling of being "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. If you are one of the more than 20 million people in the United States who have depression, the feelings do not go away. They persist and interfere with your everyday life.

Clinical Depression: Diagnosis, Causes & Treatment

Depression is a clinical condition that, contrary to popular opinion, cannot simply be overcome with time and it needs to be treated.

Can Depression and Anxiety Occur Together?

Food Insecurity and Depression

How Can I Tell if My Child is Depressed?

The Science Behind the Winter Blues: Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder

Causes of Depression

Genes and Depression

5 Facts You May Not Know About Depression

Link Between Chronic Illness and Depression

Antidepressants and Weight Changes

How is Depression in Children Diagnosed?

Depression Diagnosis

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Symptoms of Depression

Intrusive Thoughts and Depression

Situational Depression: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

Treatment Options for Children with Depression

Depression in children

Supporting Children with Mental Health Disorders

Contributing Factors to Post-Adoption Depression

Ghrelin and Depression

Depression and Sleep Length

Treatment of Depression

How Does Your Diet Affect Depression?

Prisoner Depression and Low Mood

Latest Depression News and Research

ADHD prescriptions surged during the COVID-19 pandemic

A study reveals COVID-19 reshaped stimulant prescribing patterns in Ontario, highlighting increased ADHD diagnoses and concerns over treatment appropriateness.

11 Mar 2026

New review reveals complex polygenic architecture underlying common epilepsies

An insightful mini-review published in Genomic Psychiatry synthesizes the rapidly expanding landscape of molecular genetic research on common epilepsies, assembling evidence from genome-wide association studies, whole-exome sequencing projects, and advanced statistical modeling to illuminate the polygenic architecture that underpins these heterogeneous neurological disorders.

10 Mar 2026

New review calls for biologically grounded approach to psychiatric diagnosis

A comprehensive invited review published today in Brain Medicine confronts one of the most persistent paradoxes in modern medicine: psychiatry remains the only major clinical discipline that diagnoses complex illness primarily through conversation and symptom checklists, while fields such as oncology and cardiology long ago embraced laboratory markers, imaging, and molecular profiling.

10 Mar 2026

Cellular energy changes may help detect early-stage major depression

Researchers may have discovered a new way to diagnose and treat major depression at the earliest stage of the condition, giving patients the best opportunity for recovery.

10 Mar 2026

Global study reveals how inequality limits access to exercise and why it matters for health

A global analysis of physical activity data from 68 countries shows large socioeconomic and gender inequalities in access to choice-based exercise, particularly active leisure. The study also synthesizes evidence linking physical activity to lower risks of severe infectious disease, depression, and cancer mortality, and proposes a new “physical activity for health and wellbeing” public health framework.

10 Mar 2026

Using a smartwatch to detect changes in brain health

Can smartphones or smartwatches help detect early signs of neurological or mental illness? Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) monitored a group of participants wearing connected devices, and used artificial intelligence to analyze data such as heart rate, physical activity, sleep and air pollution.

10 Mar 2026

Largest genetic study classifies 14 psychiatric disorders into five major groups

Although mental disorders have multifactorial causes, genetics can explain some of them, yet this field remains largely unexplored in terms of guiding diagnoses and treatments.

9 Mar 2026

Adult stimulant prescriptions more than doubled since the start of the pandemic

New prescriptions for stimulants among adults, largely to treat ADHD, more than doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in younger adults, found new research published in CMAJ.

9 Mar 2026

Redefining the "aging brain" through diverse data

Age is more than just one number. While neuroscientists used to think of cognitive aging as a single trendline, they now realize that vast individual differences require a more predictive and personalized approach. As they uncover more factors that affect cognition over time, they are realizing that modeling the aging brain requires more diverse data than traditionally captured.

9 Mar 2026

Modified psilocybin compounds may treat brain disorders with fewer hallucinations

Psilocybin - the psychoactive compound in "magic mushrooms" - is gaining scientific attention for its potential in treating neuropsychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and certain neurodegenerative diseases.

6 Mar 2026

PET imaging reveals molecular mechanism behind ketamine's antidepressant effects

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, and approximately 30% of patients develop treatment-resistant depression (TRD), a condition that does not respond adequately to conventional antidepressant therapies.

6 Mar 2026

Seniors defy stereotypes of decline through positive mindsets

Aging in later life is often portrayed as a steady slide toward physical and cognitive decline. But a new study by scientists at Yale University suggests an alternate narrative - that older individuals can and do improve over time and their mindset toward aging plays a major part in their success.

6 Mar 2026

Weekend lie-ins may boost insulin sensitivity, but too much may backfire

This study explores the relationship between sleep patterns and insulin sensitivity, emphasizing the impact of weekday sleep and weekend catch-up on metabolism.

6 Mar 2026

How the brain’s "parental machinery" fuels social support in mice

Humans and animals share a remarkable capacity to sense when others are in distress and respond with comforting behavior. But the motivation for doing so, and why it sometimes breaks down, has been poorly understood.

6 Mar 2026

Redefining end-of-life care for better patient outcomes

Specialist palliative care has the potential to reduce costs by up to £8,000 per person and improve quality of life.

6 Mar 2026

Study reveals compulsive shopping severity is similar across genders but buying choices vary

Researchers analyzed clinical data from 141 treatment-seeking patients with compulsive buying-shopping disorder to determine whether women and men differ in symptom severity, psychiatric comorbidities, and shopping behaviors. The study found that men and women show similar clinical severity and treatment engagement, but differ mainly in the types of products they compulsively purchase.

5 Mar 2026

Understanding wellness among Indigenous population

The study is among the first to examine strengths-based indicators of well-being in a large, population-level Indigenous sample.

5 Mar 2026

Scientists call for integration of physical activity into psychiatric care

People with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder die on average ten to 20 years earlier than the general population.

5 Mar 2026

No evidence probiotic skincare can improve mood

Current findings reveal no support for emotional benefits from probiotic cosmetics, highlighting the need for further investigation into neurocosmetics.

5 Mar 2026

Youth football accounts for nearly one in five sports-related brain injuries

Youth football accounts for the largest share of sports‑related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in children and young adults, nearly one in every five TBIs, according to a preliminary study released March 4, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

5 Mar 2026