Major Depressive Disorder

Psychiatrists who treat women and adolescent girls may find it necessary to discuss with their patients reproductive planning and the role of contraception in setting comprehensive treatment goals. Here's why.

Patients with psychiatric disorders, particularly schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa, and substance use disorders, have reduced life expectancies compared with the general population. This and other facts emphasize the need for the latest clinical information, highlighted in this countdown.

Combination buspirone and melatonin exert therapeutic cognitive effects that are distinct from their antidepressant effects, according to a recent study.

Is prevention of bipolar disorder possible? What happens before a manic or hypomanic episode that identifies this illness? Researchers asked whether there are any signs or symptoms that predict later diagnosable bipolar disorder with reasonable accuracy.

Playing helpless witness to a growing epidemic with no cure takes us back in time. The Hippocratics called it the “art” of medicine. It does not take a psychiatrist, however, to see that this “artful” approach frequently fails in public health crises.

Chronic health problems like diabetes only get worse with depression. New research shows the time is now to address both concerns.

Special Reports have long been a mainstay feature of the monthly Psychiatric Times issues, but this two-part report on cultural competence and diversity is unique in both style and content.

Renal failure is not an uncommon disorder either in the general public or in patients with psychiatric disorders, but accompanying depression, anxiety, and loss must be attended to during such an illness.

Critics of psychiatry claim there is an “epidemic” of mental illness in the US-and some argue this is a consequence of psychiatric treatment. But the best epidemiological evidence reveals no such epidemic in this country, rendering the iatrogenic “explanation” null and void.

What is the latest evidenced-based tool for cultural assessment that is included in DSM-5?

To determine a treatment plan, psychiatrists may consider the social and cultural context before they attempt to formulate an assessment and diagnosis of depression or another psychiatric disorder. The Cultural Formulation gives us the tools to do just that.

Findings on mood disorders, and the disability associated with it, speak to the need for effective treatments for depression.

Identifying patients who are likely to relapse despite continued, maintenance cognitive therapy can help optimize management of MDD and also help ensure efficient use of healthcare resources.

A 2-year study found a threefold increased risk of cardiovascular disease in older patients with major depression.

With the advent and expansion of social media, we are seeing an increase in the phenomenon of mass humiliation. In this Q&A, we learn what surprised the author of a book on public shaming.

Must clinicians presume that all their female patients of reproductive age are potentially going to become pregnant? And if so, what treatment option should be offered?

When our patients share their misdeeds with us, real or imagined, we can point them to examples of people who have experienced profound shame and managed to put their lives back together.

Which one is Selective Serotonin and which is Reuptake Inhibitor? Some Friday fun.

Like the body’s inevitable arrival at homeostasis, a bereaved person's mind settles-eventually. A peer-to-peer conversation from someone who has been there.

Is it possible to add creative twists to proven therapeutic techniques in order to encourage reluctant patients to try safe and effective treatments that we believe can benefit them? After reading the case, tell us what you think.

The human condition is such that all of us may be vulnerable to seasonal affective disorder. If placed in an environment sufficiently deprived of light we would all develop a reversible syndrome of major depression.

We present the case of a patient for whom different attending providers had markedly different interpretations. As the case unfolds, we invite you to reflect on your diagnostic understanding of each presentation.

Delusional parasitosis can be difficult to recognize, but timely diagnosis and psychiatric treatment can improve quality of life and reduce medical costs.

What therapy is considered the "gold standard” in treating childhood and adolescent depression? Find out in this quiz,

A case report of an acute, transient, reversible depression prompts us to think in a different way about depression.

Metabolic syndrome may be a particularly important marker of antipsychotic metabolic effects.

Some recent breakthroughs, using newly developed neuroscience investigational tools, suggest that if research resources are available, we could soon make substantial advances in understanding the mechanism of action of ECT.

This is usually one of the first questions asked by patients and their families following a psychotic episode, suicide attempt, or manifestation of any serious mental illness. More from the Director of NIMH.

This case of a 14-year-old female patient with end-stage cystic fibrosis illustrates the psychiatrist's critical role in ensuring quality end-of-life care.

Do persons with depression and a history of early life trauma benefit more from psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy? Take the quiz and learn more.