Depression News

Latest Depression News From Medical News Today.

Total news: 25
Last news: August 28, 2007 03:00:00

Read the latest research findings and in-depth information on clinical depression and stress in adults, teens, and children. Expand your understanding of the symptoms and available treatment for depression and related conditions. Learn techniques for mana

Total news: 46
Last news: August 30, 2007 04:00:00

A groundbreaking public health study has found a connection between damp, moldy homes and depression. The scientists said the findings came as a complete surprise. This was a large study, analyzing data from 5,882 adults in 2,982 households. Molds are toxins, and some research has indicated that these toxins can affect the nervous system or the immune system or impede the function of the frontal cortex, the part of the brain that plays a part in impulse control, memory, problem solving, sexual behavior, socialization and spontaneity. - [Read more]

Mothers who cradle their baby to their right hand side are displaying signs of extreme stress, a new study suggests. Although most mums feel stressed in the early stages of their babys life, the study suggests their baby cradling habits are a key indicator of whether this stress could become overwhelming and lead to depression. - [Read more]

In anticipation of the new school year, Mental Health America and its 320 affiliates nationwide have provided resources to college students on campuses across the nation to help them manage stress levels and address common mental health problems. The August edition of the Mental Health America podcast, Chiming In, explores campus mental health issues and provides tips and resources to help students improve mental health. [click link for full article] - [Read more]

Living in a damp and moldy house can contribute to depression independently of other personal and housing characteristics. Based on a study of almost 6,000 adults living in eight European cities, researchers found that dampness and mold in a home is associated with elevated risk of depression. This heightened risk seemed to be due to both a perceived lack of control over the housing environment and physical health problems that are likely to be related to mold exposure. [click link for full article] - [Read more]

Mental health researchers have succeeded in halving the number of relapses experienced by people with bipolar disorder which strikes two in 100 Australians, accounts for 12 percent of suicides each year and costs the country at least $1.5 billion annually. - [Read more]

Restless legs syndrome is a common problem in children 8 years of age and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, according to a new report. Nearly 2 percent of children aged 8 to 17 are affected, and a significant proportion of those experience moderate to severe symptoms, including sleep disturbance and negative moods. - [Read more]

Scientists know that information travels between brain cells along hairlike extensions called axons. For the first time, researchers have found that axons dont just transmit information -- they can turn the signal up or down with the right stimulation.This finding may help scientists develop treatments for psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia in which it is thought that different parts of the brain do not communicate correctly with each other. [click link for full article] - [Read more]

New data suggest that patients with fibromyalgia treated with 60mg or 120mg of Cymbalta(R) (duloxetine HCl) experienced greater reduction in pain severity beginning one week after starting duloxetine than those taking placebo (sugar pill), as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory Average Pain Score (BPI). [click link for full article] - [Read more]

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) today announced the results of a functional MRI (fMRI) study examining the effects of VNS (Vagus Nerve Stimulation) Therapy(TM) for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The study, led by Ziad Nahas, M.D., associate professor, MUSC Department of Psychiatry, appears in the August 2007 issue of peer-reviewed Neuropsychopharmacology. The results show that VNS Therapy modulates areas of the brain that control mood. [click link for full article] - [Read more]

Brain imaging has revealed a breakdown in normal patterns of emotional processing that impairs the ability of people with clinical depression to suppress negative emotional states. Efforts by depressed patients to suppress their feelings when viewing emotionally negative images enhanced activity in several brain areas, including the amygdala, known to play a role in generating emotion, according to a report in The Journal of Neuroscience. [click link for full article] - [Read more]

Brain imaging has revealed a breakdown in normal patterns of emotional processing that impairs the ability of people with clinical depression to suppress negative emotional states. Efforts by depressed patients to suppress their feelings when viewing emotionally negative images enhanced activity in several brain areas, including the amygdala, known to play a role in generating emotion. - [Read more]

Research seeks to examine links between childrens mental health problems and alcohol, nicotine and illegal drug use over time. - [Read more]

Depression may be an unrecognized readjustment problem for recently returning veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a new study. Researchers working with veterans referred for psychiatric evaluation from a primary care service found that major or minor depression was associated with domestic abuse and other family problems. - [Read more]

About 20 percent of Air Force women deployed during the Iraq war report that they are experiencing at least one major symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a survey of 1,114 servicewomen. Researchers found that women who experienced higher levels of family-work conflict were more likely to have symptoms of depression and anxiety, and were also less likely to feel they could cope with daily demands and responsibilities. - [Read more]

Setting the clocks back for daylight savings time means an extra hour of sleep and shorter days for most people, but for the thousands who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the shorter days and absence of daylight can actually cause depression.Also known as the "Winter Blues," SAD is primarily diagnosed in adults with roughly 60 to 90 percent of the diagnoses occurring in women. [click link for full article] - [Read more]

Is your first craving in the morning for your computer mouse? Do you obsessively check email in the middle of the night? If so, you may be among the ten percent of all Internet surfers afflicted with “Internet addiction disorder,” a pathological condition that can lead to anxiety and severe depression. - [Read more]

A new study by Rhode Island Hospital researchers indicates that a relapse during antidepressant continuation treatment may be due to a relapse in patients who were not true drug responders. The loss of drug response may be due to loss of placebo response (a positive medical response to taking a placebo as if it were an active medication.). The study was published in the August issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. [click link for full article] - [Read more]

Children whose mothers are depressed are less likely to develop problem behaviors if their fathers are actively engaged in family life, a Saint Louis University researcher finds.It is well documented that children living in homes with depressed mothers are at increased risk of developing problems such as aggression, hyperactivity, depression and anxiety. However, an involved father -- one who has a positive relationship with his children -- may reduce the risk of those behaviors. [click link for full article] - [Read more]

Are too many people now diagnosed as having depression? Two experts give their views. - [Read more]

A new study in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology examines the prevalence of antidepressant use before, during and after pregnancy and identifies the factors for their use. It is also the first study of its kind to determine the types and dosage of antidepressants prescribed to pregnant women. 97,680 pregnant women from the province of Quebec in Canada between the ages of 15 and 45 were studied between 1998 and 2002. [click link for full article] - [Read more]