Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

New treatment target for chronic abdominal pain

High levels of a protein linked to the way pain signals are sent to the brain led to a decrease in abdominal pain in a recent study in mice.

2 Mar 2009

Chantix side effects no worse for people with history of depression

People with a likely history of depression who take varenicline (Chantix) do not report more severe mood symptoms, medication side effects, or less success quitting smoking compared to people with no history of depression taking this drug.

2 Mar 2009

Alcohol abuse may lead to depression risk, rather than vice versa

A statistical modeling study suggests that problems with alcohol abuse may lead to an increased risk of depression, as opposed to the reverse model in which individuals with depression self-medicate with alcohol, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

2 Mar 2009

Revealing statistics about childhood diabetes reported

The incidence rate of type 1 diabetes among non-Hispanic white youth in the United States is one of the highest in the world, according to a major national study coordinated by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

1 Mar 2009

Perinatal anxiety - the hidden disorder

You've probably heard of postpartum depression - a common problem after pregnancy, suffered by about one in seven new mothers.

25 Feb 2009

For psychiatric services, wait for the beep

Two-thirds of patients referred for psychiatric services following an emergency room visit are likely to reach only an answering machine when they call for help, compared to about 20 percent of patients calling medical clinics with physical symptoms.

25 Feb 2009

Protein found linking stress and depression

Stress, the ever-present threat to health and happy living, is tough on the brain. If the strain goes on too long, it can lead to debilitating psychological problems.

25 Feb 2009

Yoga helps women with breast cancer

Women undertaking a ten week program of 75 minute Restorative Yoga (RY) classes gained positive differences in aspects of mental health such as depression, positive emotions, and spirituality (feeling calm/peaceful) compared to the control group.

25 Feb 2009

Brain protein may be a target for fast-acting antidepressants

It takes weeks or months for the effect of most antidepressants to kick in, time that can feel like an eternity to those who need the drugs the most. But new research suggests that a protein called p11, previously shown to play a role in a person's susceptibility to depression, activates a serotonin receptor in the brain known for producing

25 Feb 2009

Women with diabetes before or during pregnancy at greater risk of depression

Low-income pregnant women and new mothers with diabetes have nearly twice the risk of experiencing depression during and after pregnancy than women without diabetes, according to a study in the February 25 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

24 Feb 2009

Valdoxan granted marketing authorisation for the treatment of major depressive episodes in Europe

The European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for Servier's Valdoxan/Thymanax (agomelatine), the first melatonergic antidepressant for the treatment of adult patients with major depressive episodes.

24 Feb 2009

Triple threat to health for older African American women

Older African American women who have experienced high levels of family violence throughout their lives are more likely to suffer worse physical and mental health than their counterparts, found a Temple researcher in the February issue of the Journal of Women's Health.

24 Feb 2009

Transcendental meditation helps students with college stress

Transcendental meditation may be an effective non-medicinal tool for students to buffer themselves against the intense stresses of college life, according to a new study to be published in the February 24 issue of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Psychophysiology.

24 Feb 2009

Diabetes a risk factor for postpartum depression

Postpartum depression is a serious - and often undiagnosed - condition affecting about 10 to 12 percent of new mothers.

24 Feb 2009

Children with hypertension have trouble with goal-directed tasks

Children with high blood pressure are not as good at complicated, goal-directed tasks, have more working memory problems and are not as adept at planning as their peers without hypertension, according to recent research.

24 Feb 2009

Inexpensive depression screening tool works in resource poor countries

A study published in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine reports that a highly reliable depression screening tool known as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) used across the United States and Europe can be effectively administered in resource poor Africa to HIV/AID patients, a population whose mental health needs have been underserved.

24 Feb 2009

Anti-social behavior in girls predicts adolescent depression seven years later

Past behavior is generally considered to be a good predictor of future behavior, but new research indicates that may not be the case in the development of depression, particularly among adolescent girls.

18 Feb 2009

Hertfordshire to train new mental health workforce

The University's School of Social Community & Health Studies has won a three year contract worth one million pounds a year with the East of England Strategic Health Authority to implement training for a major government policy in mental health entitled Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT).

17 Feb 2009

New treatment approach needed for management of depression with bipolar disorder

In a study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, a team of researchers led by Mayo Clinic psychiatrist Mark Frye, M.D., attempted to identify what factors make some people with bipolar depression more likely to experience treatment-emergent mania (TEM).

15 Feb 2009

Mouse study reveals genetic component of empathy

The ability to empathize with others is partially determined by genes, according to new research on mice from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).

15 Feb 2009