Depression News & Features

People with moderate-to-severe depression saw significant improvement in their mood after electrical stimulation of a brain region called the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a small study suggests.

Some study subjects who took ezogabine (Potiga) saw a 45 percent reduction in depression and an increase in their ability to feel pleasure, as well as an increase in resilience and the capacity to recover from extremes of trauma and stress, researchers report.

Swimmer Michael Phelps, who earned more gold medals than any other Olympian, has also know the depths of depression and anxiety. His mission today is to help people realize they’re not alone in their own mental health struggles.

When used for long periods by people who have both PTSD and COPD, benzodiazepine drugs such as Valium, Xanax and Ativan are tied to more than double the risk of suicide, according to new research.

Using sophisticated software, researchers scanned social media posts and detected depression months before it was apparent on clinical screening tests, according to a recent study.

Among more than 67,000 students surveyed, over 20 percent said they experienced stressful events in the last year that were strongly associated with mental health problems, including harming themselves and suicidal thoughts or attempts, according to a new study in the journal Depression and Anxiety.

Exercise Can Chase Away the Blues, to a Point By Robert PreidtHealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Aug. 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise is good for your mental health, as long as you don't overdo it, researchers say.An analysis of data from 1.2 million people in the United States found they reported 3.4 days a month of poor mental health on average. But those who were physically active had 1.5 fewer "down" days a month than those who were not active.Being active for 45 minutes three to five times a week was associated with the biggest benefit. Exercise had

A number of trials have tested the supplement against depression, too, but with mixed results, said Dr. Natalie Rasgon, co-senior researcher on the new study.

A new study -- based on surveys in 15 countries – finds that employees struggling with depression take less time off work if they have supportive managers.

If you're fit in middle age, you might be guarding against not only depression as a senior,  but also dying from heart disease if you do develop depression, a new study suggests.

About 15 percent of adults are thought to use five or more prescription medications simultaneously, the researchers said in background notes.

Andy Spade said the couple had lived apart for the last 10 months, but there were no plans to divorce. Their daughter, Frances Beatrix, was with her father the night of her mother's death, The Times reported.

The researchers found that for every 10 percent increase in unpleasant social media experiences, the risk of developing symptoms of depression rose by 20 percent.

In the study, patients who used any of a dozen common antidepressants were 21 percent more likely than others to put on an extra 5 to 8 pounds, the study authors said.

Diagnosis rates in 2016 varied by as much as 300 percent between states, from a high of 6.4 percent in Rhode Island to lows of 2.1 percent in Hawaii and 3.2 percent in Nevada.

High levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of depression in all age groups during the follow-up, the investigators found.

Ketamine has a checkered history, and is perhaps best known as the recreational club drug "Special K."  But researchers have also noted its effects in easing signs of depression.

At least 2.7 million Americans live with atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

Now, new research reports that nearly 5 percent of women between the ages of 20 and 44 have struggled with major depression.

The researchers analyzed data from 522 trials -- published and unpublished -- that included more than 116,000 participants. Of the 21 antidepressants studied, all of them worked better than a placebo.

Among women, slightly more than 10 percent have depression, versus 5.5 percent of men. And the mood disorder affects everyday life for a majority of these people, the 2013-2016 questionnaires show.

The athlete said he wants to tell people about his battle with depression in the hope that it will encourage others with the disorder to seek help, CBS News reported.

Having a father with depression may put teens at a heightened risk for the mental health problem, a new study suggests.

A powerful psychedelic drug out of South America might help battle both depression and alcoholism, a new British survey suggests.

And women have been hit even harder than men over past decades, study finds