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.

Genes and Depression

Causes of Depression

Link Between Chronic Illness and Depression

Ghrelin and Depression

Symptoms of Depression

How Can I Tell if My Child is Depressed?

Can Depression and Anxiety Occur Together?

How is Depression in Children Diagnosed?

Depression and Sleep Length

Depression in children

How Does Your Diet Affect Depression?

See more featured articles »

Intrusive Thoughts and Depression

Depression Diagnosis

Contributing Factors to Post-Adoption Depression

Prisoner Depression and Low Mood

The Science Behind the Winter Blues: Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder

Antidepressants and Weight Changes

Supporting Children with Mental Health Disorders

Food Insecurity and Depression

5 Facts You May Not Know About Depression

Treatment Options for Children with Depression

Treatment of Depression

Situational Depression: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

Latest Depression News and Research

Scientists discover master regulator gene network behind complex psychiatric disorders

A study by the University of Barcelona has identified nearly 20 genes that could contribute to some people being more susceptible to depression, anxiety and traits such as irritability and neuroticism.

17 Jul 2026

New model improves short- and long-term disease risk prediction

Researchers developed ALADYNOULLI, a Bayesian generative model that combines longitudinal health records, age, and polygenic risk to identify reproducible disease signatures across more than 683,000 participants. In UK Biobank testing, the framework achieved stronger short- and long-term risk discrimination than established clinical scores while revealing disease subgroups and genetic associations.

16 Jul 2026

Online harassment and screen time linked to suicidal thoughts

In the digital age, adolescents and young adults increasingly form social connections through online spaces, including social media, gaming and messaging platforms, which serve as venues for identity exploration, peer connection and emotional validation.

16 Jul 2026

Study highlights communication gaps between cancer survivors and providers on cannabis

For many cancer survivors, cannabis has become part of how they manage symptoms such as pain, nausea and anxiety.

16 Jul 2026

Federal nicotine reduction strategy could boost productivity and save lives

Implementing a federal nicotine reduction strategy may prevent millions of premature deaths, boost productivity, and significantly close smoking disparity gaps for individuals with major depression, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

16 Jul 2026

Endometriosis affects multiple body systems beyond pelvic pain

Migraines, digestive problems, anxiety, and depression can be part of endometriosis, although they are often interpreted as separate conditions.

16 Jul 2026

Sleeping longer may signal early Alzheimer's-related brain changes

Regularly sleeping long hours each night is associated with higher levels of an Alzheimer's-related protein in the blood, even accounting for other health factors, suggests a new study from UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio.

15 Jul 2026

Experts recommend renaming PCOS to better reflect whole-body impacts

A condition affecting approximately 170 million adolescents and women worldwide has a new name – one that better reflects its complexity and far-reaching health impacts.

15 Jul 2026

GLP-1 receptor activation linked to lower depression and bipolar disorder odds

Genetic analyses linked BMI-related GLP-1 receptor activation to better mental well-being and lower odds of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. The findings do not prove that GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs treat psychiatric conditions, and randomized clinical trials are still needed.

15 Jul 2026

Poor sleep alters brain communication networks differently across adult lifespan

Have trouble sleeping? The reason may depend in part on your age. A recent study including psychology researchers from Binghamton University, State University of New York investigates how poor sleep alters brain communication across the adult lifespan, specifically examining how these changes vary by age and biological sex.

14 Jul 2026

AI text analysis reveals hidden mental health signs in emergency call takers and dispatchers

Emergency call takers and dispatchers serve as the invisible frontline of public safety, navigating life-or-death crises over phone lines and radios without ever seeing the outcomes of their efforts.

14 Jul 2026

New study quantifies how future climate change threatens mental health

A new study has, for the first time in the world, quantitatively projected how climate change will affect mental health at a multi-country level.

14 Jul 2026

Screen soothing shapes young children's cognitive development over time

In "Llama Llama Mad at Mama," a popular children's book from 2007, a little Llama Llama goes to the grocery with his mama and becomes overwhelmed by all the sounds, sights, smells and shopping decisions happening around him.

13 Jul 2026

GLP-1 weight loss may reduce first-impression penalties in relationships and hiring

An NBER working paper found that GLP-1 initiation and associated weight loss were followed by higher partnership formation among initially single women and greater employment entry among women who were not employed. The findings suggest that part of the female obesity penalty may arise when prospective partners and employers form first impressions, although the observational analysis did not directly prove discrimination

13 Jul 2026

Many older adults remain unaware of national crisis lifeline

In the four years since the launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the nationwide service for mental health and substance misuse crisis support, Americans have dialed, texted or chatted online with the service over 26 million times.

13 Jul 2026

Global study reveals country-specific patterns in dementia risk factors

A major, USC-led study of more than 214,000 older adults across 14 countries and regions finds that the most common controllable risk factors for dementia - such as low education, high blood pressure and smoking - vary widely from country to country, meaning a one-size-fits-all approach to prevention won't work everywhere.

12 Jul 2026

New benchmark shows AI still misses the human side of mental health care

PsyEval is a new benchmark that tests how large language models perform on mental health knowledge, diagnostic assessment, and emotional support tasks. The study found that leading models can show strong factual recall and fluent responses, but still struggle with empathy, clinical nuance, prompt sensitivity, and safe diagnostic behavior.

12 Jul 2026

Insurance-supported integrative oncology symptom management program benefits cancer patients

A new study from University Hospitals Connor Whole Health reports that an insurance-supported integrative oncology program resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in cancer-related symptoms like pain, stress, anxiety, depression, nausea, and fatigue.

11 Jul 2026

AI-powered digital twins help train future mental health clinicians

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, New York University and Penn's Linguistic Data Consortium have received a two-year, $4 million grant from the Wellcome Trust to develop a scalable, AI-powered platform for training mental health clinicians.

9 Jul 2026

Active birth control pills may increase emotional eating

Combined oral contraceptives are associated with increased emotional eating, suggesting hormonal effects on eating behaviors and potential binge eating risks.

9 Jul 2026