What Is Depression?
Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable.
Depression
Learn about depression, including symptoms, risk factors, treatment options and answers to your questions.
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Group Music Therapy: A Promising Approach
Group music therapy, delivered in person or online, may be effective in helping address symptoms of mental health conditions, according to several recent studies. The studies looked at the use of group music therapy in women with depression, older adults with dementia, and college students experiencing stress. One consistent theme in this research is that participants have improved quality of life.
Infertility: The Impact of Stress and Mental Health
Infertility, though often not talked about, is common. An estimated one in eight couples (or 12% of married women) have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. There are a range of complex connections between mental health and infertility.
New Review Study: Neuromodulation Advances Offer Promise for Treating Depression
A new review study looking at the current state of neuromodulation therapies being used to treat depression, including rTMS, ECT and others, is available online today in the December issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry.
Parental Leave Brings Mental Health Benefits, Especially for Mothers
Along with all the excitement and anticipation, becoming a new parent comes with a great deal of change and potential stress, such as the challenges of childrearing, financial pressure and career uncertainties. This elevated stress can contribute to mental health problems, including peripartum depression. New research published in the Lancet finds that access to employer-provided parental leave may help protect mothers’ mental health in the months after childbirth.
The Mental Health Benefits of Simple Acts of Kindness
There are many reasons acts of kindness are good for the giver and the receiver. New research looks at the mental health benefits, finding that performing acts of kindness may help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.(1) “Acts of kindness” refer to benevolent and helpful actions intentionally directed towards another person, motivated by the desire to help another and not to gain reward or to avoid punishment
March Issues of APA Journals Feature Research on Treatment of Depression and OCD, Digital Mental Health Innovations, and More
The latest issues of two American Psychiatric Association journals, The American Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Services, are now available online.
New Research Highlights the Expanding and Valuable Role Telepsychiatry is Playing in Improving Mental Health Care
Two studies released today in the journal Psychiatric Services add to the growing evidence of telepsychiatry’s contribution to improved mental health care. One study examined the use of telepsychiatry in emergency departments nationwide and a second looked at the use of telepsychiatry to improve screening, diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-related depression.
Personal Perspectives on Major Depressive Disorder, Part 1
These podcasts include the real-life experiences of people with mental illness and family members. Some of the content includes discussions of topics such as suicide attempts and may be triggering.
March Issues of American Psychiatric Association Journals Cover Advances in Depression Treatment, Suicide Risk Screening, and Mental Health Help Seeking Among Indigenous Populations
The March issues of two of the American Psychiatric Association’s journals, The American Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Services are now available online.
PsychNews Special Report: Validity in Psychiatric Diagnosis: Rethinking Mood Disorders
In this episode, Dr. Adrian Preda speaks with Dr. S. Nassir Ghaemi about the limitations of the DSM framework in diagnosing mood disorders and explores the case for returning to more valid, clinically grounded approaches. They discuss the historical context of manic-depressive illness, the role of mixed states and mood temperaments, and how reframing diagnoses can lead to more effective treatment.
Women, Disasters and Resilience
Do women experience disasters, including planning, preparedness, response and recovery, differently than men? That is the question examined in a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report looks at the long-held notion in disaster behavioral health research that "women are more vulnerable to adverse mental health consequences of disaster than are men."
How to Boost Mental Health Through Better Nutrition
The relationship between nutrition and mental health is bidirectional: the foods we eat affect our mental health, and our mental health status affects what and how well we eat. This month, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) are partnering to highlight the interconnectedness of nutrition and mental health. To learn more about how the public views diet and mental health, APA conducted a poll between March 16 and 17, 2023, among a sample of 2,200