Magnets to cure depression? It may seem strange but this treatment is now available on the NHS. It’s called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS. For people who have tried antidepressants but it didn’t work, TMS may be offered. It involves zapping areas of the brain associated with depression with pulsating magnetic fields. Treatment usually involves … Read more
A new tool could have the potential to identify which suicidal patients presenting to the emergency department should be admitted to the hospital and which patients can be safely discharged, new research suggests. The investigators found that the Abbreviated Suicide Crisis Syndrome Checklist (A-SCS-C) “shows robust clinical utility and may actually reduce the limitations of … Read more
A new review authored by three Canadian psychiatrists aims to help primary care physicians diagnose and manage depression in adolescents. Depression is common among Canadian teenagers and often goes unnoticed. Many family doctors report feeling unprepared to identify and manage depression in these patients. “Depression is an increasingly common but treatable condition among adolescents,” the … Read more
The “dissociative anesthetic” ketamine is looking increasingly promising as a safe and effective treatment for intractable depression. A new randomized study by researchers in the United States has shown that ketamine injections are at least as effective as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in treating nonpsychotic forms of major depression. After starting ECT or ketamine therapy, patients … Read more
A new study published in NeuroImage: Clinic explored the relationship between exercise, brain functioning, and major depressive disorder. The results indicate that individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) who exercise tend to have better brain functioning than those with MDD who do not exercise. Depression is a common mental health disorder affecting millions of people … Read more
In a recent study published in the journal Advances in cardiovascular diseaseresearchers explore whether exercise could be used to treat anxiety. Study: Is exercise a valid therapy for anxiety? Systematic review of recent literature and critical analysis. Image credit: GP PIXSTOCK/Shutterstock.com The mental health benefits of exercise Lifestyle psychiatry recognizes the impact of various health … Read more
Many people think of postnatal depression as a condition that affects only women. But in reality, postnatal depression affects nearly as many men as women with some research estimating it occurs in up to 10 percent of fathers. Yet despite how common postnatal depression may be in men, there’s still not a lot of information … Read more
New research published in Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology explores what may influence the consequences of peer victimization for adolescents in the United States. The study findings reveal that when teenagers discuss their problems with a friend who also has social difficulties, their symptoms of depression tend to increase. When friends who talk about … Read more
Suicidal ideation peaks during the winter, but suicide attempts are more common in late spring and early summer in the early morning hours, new research shows. Additionally, findings from Harvard University’s Project Implicit Health also show that people are more likely to attempt suicide between 4 and 6 in the morning. “No research has demonstrated … Read more
Many people think of postnatal depression as a condition that affects only women. But in reality, postnatal depression affects nearly as many men as women with some research estimating it occurs in up to 10 percent of fathers. Yet despite how common postnatal depression may be in men, there’s still not a lot of information … Read more
