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about Depression
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- Primary Care Doctors May Overlook Elderly Patients’ Mental Health
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February 25, 2008
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Science Update
Doctors spend little time discussing mental health issues with their older patients and rarely refer them to a mental health specialist even if they show symptoms of severe depression.
- Co-occurring Anxiety Complicates Treatment Response for Those with Major Depression
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February 25, 2008
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Science Update
People with major depression accompanied by high levels of anxiety are significantly less likely to benefit from antidepressant medication than those without anxiety, according to a study based on data from the NIMH-funded Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study.
- Genetic Variation May Influence Response to Depression Treatment
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February 20, 2008
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Science Update
Variations in a gene known as TREK1 may explain some forms of treatment-resistant major depression, according to a new study analyzing genetic data.
- Tomorrow’s Antidepressants: Skip the Serotonin Boost?
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February 14, 2008
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Science Update
Even when serotonin levels stayed low, scientists were able to correct abnormal, mental-illness-like behaviors in mice by blocking an enzyme called GSK3ß. The finding adds evidence that molecular targets other than serotonin may lead to better and faster medications for some mental illnesses.
- Team Care for Depressed Older Adults Cuts Overall Medical Costs
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February 14, 2008
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Science Update
A team approach to depression treatment for older adults, already shown to be effective, is also less expensive than usual care.
- Gene Variants Protect Against Adult Depression Triggered by Childhood Stress
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February 4, 2008
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Press Release
Certain variations in a gene that helps regulate response to stress tend to protect adults who were abused in childhood from developing depression. Adults who had been abused but didn’t have the variations in the gene had twice the symptoms of moderate to severe depression, compared to those with the protective variations.
- Mood Disorders Predict Later Substance Abuse Problems
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January 9, 2008
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Science Update
People with manic symptoms and bipolar disorder type II are at significant risk of later developing an alcohol abuse or dependence problem, a long-term study conducted in Switzerland confirms.
- Hurricane Katrina Survivors Lack Access to Mental Health Services
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December 17, 2007
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Science Update
The majority of Hurricane Katrina survivors who developed mental disorders after the disaster are not receiving the mental health services they need, and many who were receiving mental health care prior to the hurricane were not able to continue with treatment.
- Depression’s Flip Side Shares its Circuitry
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December 14, 2007
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Science Update
Humans tend to be overly optimistic about the future, sometimes underestimating risks and making unrealistic plans, notes NIMH grantee Elizabeth Phelps, Ph.D., New York University. Yet “a moderate optimistic illusion” appears to be essential for maintaining motivation and good mental health
- Depression Linked to Bone-Thinning in Premenopausal Women
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November 26, 2007
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Press Release
Premenopausal women with even mild depression have less bone mass than do their nondepressed peers, a study funded in part by NIMH.
