News and Features Related to Depression

1. Men Also Get Postpartum Depression
   

   May 6, 2008 (Washington) -- Postpartum depression hits new dads, too. Moreover, male postpartum depression may have more negative effects on some aspects of a child's development than its female counterpart, says James F. Paulson, PhD, of the Center for Pediatric Research at the Eastern Virginia Med

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2. Many Depressed Older Adults Lack Vitamin D
   

   May 6, 2008 -- Soaking in plenty of sunshine and drinking lots of milk might help fight off depression in your golden years. Researchers reporting in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry have linked low blood levels of vitamin D -- the "sunshine vitamin" -- and increased parathyroid hormo

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3. Postpartum Depression: How Common?
   

   April 10, 2008 -- The CDC today issued its latest statistics on postpartum depression, and the figures show that certain groups of women may be at higher risk. The CDC's report included more than 52,000 new moms in 17 states. The women, who had given birth within the past two to six months, complete

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4. Protein Marker May Detect Depression
   

   March 11, 2008 -- Researchers may be a step closer to creating a lab test to detect depression. "We may be able to tell you if you are depressed and more importantly, whether you are responding to the chosen antidepressant therapy," says researcher Mark Rasenick in a news release. Rasenick and his t

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5. FDA OKs New Antidepressant Pristiq
   

   March 3, 2008 -- The FDA has approved Pristiq, a new antidepressant that's a modified version of the antidepressant Effexor XR, for the treatment of major depressive disorder in adults. Pristiq and Effexor XR are made by Wyeth . Pristiq, which is taken once daily and isn't approved for pediatric pat

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6. The Truth About Antidepressants
   

   A controversial new study suggests the widely prescribed antidepressants Prozac, Paxil, and Effexor work no better than placebo for most patients who take them, and many depression experts now cry foul. In findings published in the February issue of the journal PloS Medicine, researchers conclude th

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7. Teen Depression: Try Therapy, Switch Medication
   

   Feb. 26, 2008 -- Depressed teens who don't respond well to the first antidepressant medication they are prescribed do improve if they are switched to a different antidepressant medication and also offered "talk" therapy, according to a new study. The combination -- switching medications and offering

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8. Hope May Take Time After Depression
   

   Feb. 21, 2008 -- New depression research confirms that antidepressants work, but hopelessness may take longer to lift than other symptoms. Based on those findings, the researchers make two suggestions: Patients should be followed closely for several months after their mood improves if they were part

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9. Postpartum Depression Linked to Boys?
   

   Feb. 15, 2008 -- Women who give birth to a boy may be at increased risk of getting severe postpartum depression, according to a French study. But a Canadian expert on women's mental health says the conclusion is premature. And the study author himself warns that the results may not apply to U.S. wom

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10. Elderly Women Hard Hit by Depression
    

    Feb. 4, 2008 -- Older women are more likely to suffer from symptoms of depression and remain depressed for a longer period of time than men, a new study shows. Researchers say major depression affects only about 1%-2% of the elderly population, but up to 20% may suffer from significant symptoms of d

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