How High-Quality Sleep Promotes Resilience to Depression and Anxiety

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A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of York discovered that getting high-quality sleep can enhance one’s resilience to depression and anxiety. Published in the journal Cortex, the study revealed that individuals who reported having good sleep were less prone to developing symptoms of depression or anxiety during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a study …

Ketamine SQ Effective for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Clinical Trial

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A clinical trial conducted by researchers from UNSW Sydney has discovered that ketamine given as a subcutaneous shot effectively treats treatment-resistant depression. The findings, published in the journal the British Journal of Psychiatry, demonstrate that ketamine surpassed placebo in significantly reducing depressive symptoms. The trial involved 200 patients who had not responded to at least two other types of antidepressant …

Resilience to Depression: The Promise of Psychological Vaccination

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Depression is a common and serious mental illness that affects millions of people worldwide. While there are effective treatments available, prevention is always better than cure. A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry suggests that a new approach called “psychological vaccination” could help to prevent depression. The study, by researchers from China and the United Kingdom, reviewed …

Gut Microbiome and Depression: What’s the Connection?

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A recent study published in the esteemed scientific journal Nature Communications has uncovered a potential connection between the complex ecosystem of gut bacteria,­ known as the gut microbiome,­ and depression.­ The study was carried out by accomplished researchers at the renowned Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam,­ Netherlands.­ Their findings revealed distinct differences in gut microbiomes between individuals suffering from …

Psilocybin-Assisted Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder: A 12-Month Follow-up Study

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A recent study published in the journal Psychopharmacology discovered that psilocybin-­assisted treatment (­PCT)­ effectively reduces symptoms of major depressive disorder (­MDD)­ even after 12 months.­ Johns Hopkins University researchers conducted this study,­ closely monitoring and evaluating 24 participants who underwent PCT for MDD.­ These participants were evaluated at multiple intervals including baseline,­ 4 weeks,­ 12 weeks,­ and finally at the …

Do Antidepressants Improve Quality of Life for People with Depression?

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Depression is a common mental illness that affects millions of people worldwide. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, including sadness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and changes in appetite. Depression can also have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. One way to treat depression is with medication. Antidepressants are a type of medication that can help to …

The Serotonin Theory of Depression: Debunked?

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For decades, the serotonin theory of depression has been the prevailing explanation for the disorder. The theory holds that depression is caused by low levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in mood regulation. This theory has led to the development of many popular antidepressants, which work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. However, a new study …

New Research Shows That Even Moderate Physical Activity Can Protect Against Depression

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A new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open has found that even moderate levels of physical activity can protect against depression in older adults. The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Limerick in Ireland, looked at data from over 7,000 older adults with and without chronic disease. The researchers found that for every additional …

Suicide Prevention

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10 USEFUL* things you can do for suicide prevention *Spoiler: none of these things are about “fixing” a suicidal person. I’d like to apologize for missing the actual National Suicide Prevention Day, which was September 10, but, really, any day is a good day to talk about suicide prevention.  Suicide prevention is not a matter of telling your distressed friend …

Inflammation and Depression – Specific Symptom Cluster

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A study of 15 population-based cohorts, totalling 56,351 individuals, suggests that there is a correlation between inflammation as measured by elevated  C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and a specific sub-group of symptoms of depression. The inflammation cluster consisted of four physical symptoms: changes in appetite, felt everything was an effort, loss of energy, sleep problems; and one cognitive symptom: little …