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- Preventive Treatment May Help Head Off Depression Following a Stroke
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May 28, 2008
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Science Update
For the first time, researchers show that preventive treatment with an antidepressant medication or talk therapy can significantly reduce the risk or delay the start of depression following an acute stroke, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
- Medication-only Therapy and Combination Therapy Both Cost Effective for Treating Teens with Depression
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May 12, 2008
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Science Update
Treating depressed teenagers with either the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac) or a combination of fluoxetine and psychotherapy can be cost effective, according to a recent economic analysis.
- Studies Identify Subtle Genetic Changes’ Risk for Mental Disorders; May Lead to Targets for New, Better, Therapies
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May 5, 2008
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Science Update
Epigenetics ─ the examination of how environmental factors like diet, stress, and post-natal maternal behavior can change gene function without altering DNA sequence ─ plays a major role in depression and in the actions of antidepressant medications. New studies in the field are revealing new molecular targets for better therapies for depression, scientists say.
- Human Brain Appears “Hard-Wired” for Hierarchy
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April 23, 2008
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Press Release
Human imaging studies have for the first time identified brain circuitry associated with social status, according to researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health.
- Journal Highlights Effectiveness of Research Based Psychotherapies for Youth
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April 15, 2008
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Science Update
Reviews of the current research on psychosocial and behavioral therapies, or psychotherapies, for children and adolescents found a number of “well established” and “probably efficacious” treatments for many mental disorders. The results were published in a special issue of the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
- Maintenance Treatment Crucial for Teens’ Recovery from Depression
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April 8, 2008
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Science Update
Long-term maintenance treatment is likely to sustain improvement and prevent recurrence among adolescents with major depression, according to an NIMH-funded study.
- Paying More for Prescriptions May Limit Seniors’ Access to Antidepressants
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April 2, 2008
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Science Update
New cost-sharing policies may prevent some older adults diagnosed with depression from filling new antidepressant prescriptions.
- State Survey Finds FDA “Black Box” Warning Correlates with Curtailed Antidepressant Prescriptions
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March 14, 2008
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Science Update
After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a “black box” warning on antidepressant medications, Nebraskan doctors began prescribing fewer antidepressant medications to children and teens and referring more patients to specialists, according to a state survey.
- One Gene Overrides Another to Prevent Brain Changes that Foster Depression
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March 12, 2008
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Science Update
A variation on one gene affects how much of the brain chemical serotonin is available to brain cells. This variation is thought to raise the risk of depression in people who carry it. But NIMH scientists found that a variation in another gene, which produces brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) – a substance that enables growth and health of brain cells – appears to prevent or offset the changes generated by the depression-fostering variant.
- Teens with Treatment-resistant Depression More Likely to Get Better with Switch to Combination Therapy
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February 26, 2008
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Press Release
Teens with difficult-to-treat depression who do not respond to a first antidepressant medication are more likely to get well if they switch to another antidepressant medication and add psychotherapy rather than just switching to another antidepressant.
