Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

New research to investigate impact of therapy animals on pediatric cancer patients

The sight of a dog in a therapy vest trotting down a hospital hallway or being petted by a child lying in a hospital bed is familiar to many, yet the scientific research showing the impact of therapy animals is largely anecdotal, says Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Professor Mary Jo Gilmer, PhD, FAAN. Her work is changing that.

27 Apr 2019

Hurricane Maria’s legacy: Thousands of Puerto Rican students show PTSD symptoms

Food shortages, damaged homes, fear of death, loved ones leaving. The cumulative stresses of Hurricane Maria contributed to thousands of schoolchildren developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, in Puerto Rico, according to a study published Friday.

26 Apr 2019

How much screen time is OK for a 5 year old?

The World Health Organization has come up with new set of recommendations regarding the amount of screen time to be allowed for children less than five years.

25 Apr 2019

Scientists and patients gather in Vancouver to discuss about Stevens-Johnson syndrome

Scientists and patients from all over the world are gathering in Vancouver, Canada, on Friday and Saturday to discuss new discoveries and future direction in the treatment of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN), a drug-induced disease that has a mortality of up to 50%.

25 Apr 2019

What causes us to binge eat? Scientists may have the answer.

Scientists have revealed that the reason we eat more than we need to may be caused by cellular communication originating in the emotion-processing center of the brain.

25 Apr 2019

A combination of sensory stimuli can help soothe crying babies, study reveals

What is the most effective way for parents to soothe their crying babies? A combination of sensory stimuli - by way of swaddling, sound and movement - can help, according to a new study by SEIN, the expertise center for epilepsy and sleep medicine, and the University of Amsterdam.

25 Apr 2019

Physicians turning to antibiotic alternatives for long-term acne treatment

Physicians are scaling back on prescribing antibiotics for long-term acne treatment in favor of a combinations of therapies, according to Rutgers researchers.

25 Apr 2019

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ The abortion wars rage on

A federal district judge in Oregon blocked new rules for the federal family planning program issued by the Trump administration and due to take effect May 3. It's one of several cases out to thwart the changes that would effectively evict Planned Parenthood from the Title X program.

25 Apr 2019

Cellular communication in emotion-processing brain region motivates us to keep eating tasty food

When you eat something super tasty, ever wonder why you really don't want to stop even though you know you've eaten enough? Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine may have found the reason.

25 Apr 2019

Despite expansion of insurance coverage for depression, treatment rates are lower than expected

A new investigation published in JAMA Psychiatry finds that while insurance coverage for depression has increased, treatment rates are lower than expected, indicating that non-financial barriers to patient care still remain.

24 Apr 2019

The homeless are dying in record numbers on the streets of L.A.

A record number of homeless people — 918 last year alone — are dying across Los Angeles County, on bus benches, hillsides, railroad tracks and sidewalks.

24 Apr 2019

Prolonged exposure therapy is more effective in treating veterans with PTSD, alcohol use disorder

Prolonged exposure therapy is more effective at treating PTSD than Seeking Safety, a coping skills therapy, for patients who also have alcohol use disorder, found a VA San Diego Healthcare System study.

24 Apr 2019

Amid opioid prescriber crackdown, health officials reach out to pain patients

A pharmacist in Celina, Tenn., was one of 60 people indicted on charges of opioid-related crimes last week, in a multistate sting. John Polston was charged with 21 counts of filling medically unnecessary narcotic prescriptions.

24 Apr 2019

Johns Hopkins study reports overdiagnosis of schizophrenia

In a small study of patients referred to the Johns Hopkins Early Psychosis Intervention Clinic (EPIC), Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report that about half the people referred to the clinic with a schizophrenia diagnosis didn't actually have schizophrenia.

22 Apr 2019

Study uncovers reasons for poor mental health in bisexual people

The largest study of bisexual people in the world to date, led by La Trobe University, has examined why bisexual people experience higher rates of psychological distress than heterosexual and homosexual people.

22 Apr 2019

Destination limbo: Health suffers among asylum seekers in crowded border shelter

Immigrants from Mexico and Central America seeking asylum in the United States frequently end up at border shelters in Tijuana, Mexico. They stay in them for weeks as they wait for the U.S. government to approve or deny their applications.

22 Apr 2019

Novel AI voice tool can help diagnose PTSD

A specially designed computer program can help diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans by analyzing their voices, a new study finds.

22 Apr 2019

Study: One in five children and youth suffer from a mental disorder

One in five Ontario children and youth suffer from a mental disorder, but less than one-third have had contact with a mental health care provider, says the Ontario Child Health Study.

17 Apr 2019

Planned parenthood’s ‘risky strategy’ to update its image

The Trump administration is pushing ahead with its reproductive health agenda. It has rolled out changes to the Title X program, which funds family planning services for low-income people, that are designed to have a chilling effect on organizations that provide abortions or include this option in counseling.

17 Apr 2019

Study to compare benefits of tai chi and mindfulness meditation on MS symptoms

Kinesiology researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have received funding to compare the effects of tai chi and mindfulness meditation on both the physical balance and psychosocial well-being of people with multiple sclerosis.

17 Apr 2019