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.

Prisoner Depression and Low Mood

How Does Your Diet Affect Depression?

Symptoms of Depression

Treatment of Depression

The Science Behind the Winter Blues: Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder

Depression and Sleep Length

Situational Depression: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

Antidepressants and Weight Changes

Food Insecurity and Depression

Link Between Chronic Illness and Depression

Depression in children

See more featured articles »

Intrusive Thoughts and Depression

How Can I Tell if My Child is Depressed?

Causes of Depression

Contributing Factors to Post-Adoption Depression

Depression Diagnosis

Genes and Depression

5 Facts You May Not Know About Depression

Can Depression and Anxiety Occur Together?

How is Depression in Children Diagnosed?

Supporting Children with Mental Health Disorders

Treatment Options for Children with Depression

Ghrelin and Depression

Latest Depression News and Research

Study reveals shared genetic roots across multiple psychiatric disorders

Distinct psychiatric disorders have more in common biologically than previously believed, according to the largest and most detailed analysis to date of how genes influence mental illness.

11 Dec 2025

Teenagers with body image issues may develop eating disorders and depression later

Teenagers who are unhappy with their bodies are more likely to develop symptoms of eating disorders and depression in early adulthood, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

11 Dec 2025

Shared genetic roots of 14 psychiatric disorders revealed

Researchers from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) report that most genetic influences on mental illness are shared across diagnostic categories, revealing a more interconnected biological landscape than traditional classifications suggest.

11 Dec 2025

Wheelchair? Hearing aids? Yes. ‘Disabled?' No way.

In her house in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Barbara Meade said, "there are walkers and wheelchairs and oxygen and cannulas all over the place."

11 Dec 2025

How much omega-3 do you need daily? New global review reveals DHA and EPA requirements

Global and national guidelines for long-chain omega-3 intake vary widely across life stages, with many countries lacking clear recommendations. Most authorities advise at least 250 mg/day of EPA and DHA, yet population intakes remain far below optimal levels.

10 Dec 2025

Why the form of vitamin B12 you take may matter more than your intake

This comprehensive review examines vitamin B12 absorption, physiological roles, deficiency states, and dietary sources, with particular attention to differences between natural and synthetic forms. The authors conclude that while all B12 forms raise circulating levels, methylcobalamin may offer advantages in specific clinical contexts, especially where absorption or metabolic conversion is impaired.

10 Dec 2025

Uterine fibroids linked to higher long-term heart disease risk in women

Long-term heart disease risk in women diagnosed with uterine fibroids was more than 80% higher than in women without fibroids, according to new independent research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

10 Dec 2025

Targeting inflammation may reduce depression severity and anhedonia

Naoise Mac Giollabhui, PhD, of the Department of Psychiatry at Mass General Brigham, is the lead author of a paper published in American Journal of Psychiatry, "Effect of anti-inflammatory treatment on depressive symptom severity and anhedonia in depressed individuals with elevated inflammation: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." Richard Liu, PhD, of the Department of Psychiatry at Mass General Brigham, is the senior author.

10 Dec 2025

Anxiety and insomnia linked to reduced natural killer cell levels in young women

Natural killer (NK) cells are the bodyguards of our immune system. As a first line of defense, they destroy invading pathogens, foreign bodies, and infected cells in early stages, thereby preventing them from spreading.

10 Dec 2025

Landmark RSI trial reshapes sedative selection for emergency airway management

Doctors treating seriously ill patients in an emergency setting may want to give the sedative etomidate, rather than ketamine, while placing a breathing tube, according to a randomized trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

9 Dec 2025

Prevention efforts for cannabis-impaired driving should also focus on older adults

With cannabis-related vehicle crashes on the rise, a new study suggests that prevention campaigns shouldn't focus just on young people.

9 Dec 2025

Dietary restriction reprograms cancer-fighting immune cells to enhance anti-tumour immunity

Reducing calorie intake helps cancer-fighting immune cells do their jobs more effectively, reports a study by Van Andel Institute scientists and collaborators.

9 Dec 2025

Online reference library provides a more accurate picture of drug exposure

Doctors and researchers try to understand what medications a person has taken by asking patients directly or by looking at medical records. But this information is often incomplete.

9 Dec 2025

Study reveals how brain protein KCC2 influences reward learning

A new finding from researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center shows that the learning process of associating cues with rewards can be altered by increased or decreased activity of a specific protein in the brain.

9 Dec 2025

Hotter days and nights are already stealing sleep across the U.S.

Rising nighttime and daytime temperatures are associated with reduced sleep duration, poorer sleep continuity, delayed sleep onset, and altered sleep stages in a large U.S. cohort tracked with wearable devices. Vulnerability is greatest among adults aged 40–50 years, females, people with lower socioeconomic status, chronic conditions, and those living in marine climate zones, with climate change projected to further magnify sleep loss.

8 Dec 2025

Laughing gas shows fast antidepressant effects in early clinical trials

A systematic review and meta-analysis in eBioMedicine shows that nitrous oxide can rapidly reduce depressive symptoms within hours, particularly at higher doses, but effects are short-lived after single treatments. Repeated dosing appears to extend and strengthen antidepressant benefits, although the current evidence is based on small, early-phase trials with limited long-term safety data.

8 Dec 2025

Young Australians are staying on antidepressants for longer than ever

Long-term antidepressant use in Australia increased steadily between 2014 and 2023, with the largest relative rise seen among adolescents and young adults aged 10 to 24 years. Treatment duration also lengthened over time, while apparent dose reduction efforts remained limited, raising concerns about deprescribing practices.

7 Dec 2025

Virtual diet and exercise program shows promise in reducing lymphoma treatment side effects

Patients undergoing treatment for lymphoma often experience adverse side effects that can be so severe that they stop or slow treatment.

7 Dec 2025

Aza-ven shows superior outcomes compared to induction chemotherapy in AML patients

In a new trial, patients newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) fared significantly better with a combined regimen of azacitidine and venetoclax compared with conventional induction chemotherapy.

7 Dec 2025

Parental leniency toward binge drinking is tied to heavier alcohol use in Greek students

Parental permissiveness toward heavy episodic drinking is higher among Greek-affiliated students and their parents during the transition from high school to college. Students who perceive greater parental approval of heavy drinking report more frequent alcohol use, with this relationship differing by Greek affiliation.

7 Dec 2025