Depression, also known as depressive disorders or unipolar depression, is a mental illness characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, and mental processes are a common accompaniment.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy appears to be similar to maintenance antidepressant medication for preventing relapse or recurrence among patients successfully treated for depression. – A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy–using meditation-provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse as traditional antidepressant medication.
Parents at highest risk for depression in the 1st year after child’s birth – More than one-third of mothers and about one-fifth of fathers in the United Kingdom appear to experience an episode of depression between their child’s birth and 12th year of age, with the highest rates in the first year after birth.
Autism: Lack of evidence for antidepressants – Antidepressants commonly prescribed to people with autistic spectrum disorders cannot be recommended based on current evidence, revealed by Cochrane Researchers.
Depression May Nearly Double Risk of Dementia – A new study shows that having depression may nearly double your risk of developing dementia later in life, revealed in a research published in the July 6, 2010, issue of Neurology.
Animal study reveals new target for antidepressants – University of Michigan scientists have provided the most detailed picture yet of a key receptor in the brain that influences the effectiveness of serotonin-related antidepressants, such as Prozac.
Physicians should help patients with depression name their problem – Because people with depression often do not recognize they have a problem or are unable to describe their distress, many do not seek treatment. About a quarter of those with major depression are undiagnosed, according to several studies, and fewer than half receive treatment.
Feeling lonely adds to rate of blood pressure increase in people 50 years old and older – Chronic feelings of loneliness take a toll on blood pressure over time, causing a marked increase after four years, according to a new study at the University of Chicago.
Common antidepressant drugs linked to lactation difficulties in moms – Women taking commonly used forms of antidepressant drugs may experience delayed lactation after giving birth and may need additional support to achieve their breastfeeding goals.
FDA Approves Ampyra to Improve Walking in Adults with Multiple Sclerosis – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ampyra (dalfampridine) extended release tablets to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Neurosurgeons in Heidelberg perform the world’s first operation on the ‘habenula’ to treat depression; cooperation with psychiatrists from the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim – A team of neurosurgeons at Heidelberg University Hospital and psychiatrists at the Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim have for the first time successfully treated a patient suffering from severe depression by stimulating the habenula, a tiny nerve structure in the brain.
Few Americans with major depression receive adequate treatment – Many U.S. adults with major depression do not receive treatment for depression or therapy based on treatment guidelines, and some racial and ethnic groups have even lower rates of adequate depression care.
Earlier bedtimes may help protect adolescents against depression and suicidal thoughts – Earlier bedtimes could have a protective effect on adolescents against depression and suicidal thoughts, by lengthening sleep duration and increasing the likelihood of getting enough sleep.
