A recent study published in the journal Nature Mental Health by researchers at the University of Cambridge revealed that attending in-person mindfulness courses has a lasting positive impact on mental health, even up to six months after completing the program. The study analyzed data from 13 randomized controlled trials, encompassing 2,371 participants. The researchers discovered that individuals who participated in …
A Healthy Lifestyle Can Reduce Your Risk of Depression
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can significantly lower the risk of developing depression, according to a recent study published in Nature Mental Health. Conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge and Fudan University, the study examined data from nearly 290,000 individuals. The findings revealed that those who adhered to a healthy lifestyle had a 57% reduced likelihood of experiencing depression …
Ketamine SQ Effective for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Clinical Trial
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
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 …
Psilocybin-Assisted Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder: A 12-Month Follow-up Study
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?
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?
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 …
Microdosing Psilocybin and Psilocybin Assisted Psychotherapy – Safe and Effective?
Recently there has been a lot of interest in using psilocybin as a treatment for depression, anxiety and alcohol use disorder. We certainly need more safe and effective treatments. It may be worth considering where we are in the evaluation of these agents. Right now there is a growing literature supporting the potential value of these agents, but there is …
Psychedelic Medicine Association Member
Gateway Psychiatric just joined the Psychedelic Medicine Association. This membership is a continuation of our longstanding interest in alternative treatments for depression. I have been working with Bay Psychiatric Associates and Roberto Estrada for nearly five years providing ketamine infusion and now nasal esketamine to patients with treatment resistant depression. This followed attending the 2017 Ketamine Conference which was held …
SSRI Doses and Effectiveness – High Dose vs Low Dose, Is There a Difference?
One of the questions that has bedevilled clinicians ever since the introduction of the first SSRI (Prozac, fluoxetine) is whether there is any relationship between SSRI doses and effectiveness. In other words, do higher doses result in greater effectiveness. I can recall about 20 years ago reading the first clinical trial looking at this question. It was an article published …