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All Depression and Anxiety Alerts

Generalized Anxiety Disorder May Lead to Long-Term Heart Problems

While the link between depression and heart disease is well known, a recent study illustrates how having generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) greatly ups your risk of having a heart-related event. More...

Bipolar Disorder Type 1 or 2: How to Tell the Difference

Bipolar disorder can begin with a bout of either depression or mania, but about two thirds of cases start with a manic episode, and mania tends to predominate. Just as there are many forms of depression, there are several types of bipolar disorder. The two main subtypes are bipolar type 1 and bipolar type 2. Both are characterized by one or more major depressive episodes, but the type and degree of mania differ. Bipolar type… More...

Research on Bright-Light Therapy for SAD and Bipolar Disorder

Some people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can be successfully treated with exposure to bright light. In one study, 57 percent of 191 people with SAD responded to light therapy. In another study, bright-light therapy was comparable in effectiveness to antidepressant therapy but worked faster and caused fewer side effects. And in a major review of 173 published studies, bright-light therapy yielded substantial relief for both SAD and mild to moderate depression that was not linked to seasonal changes. More...

Research on Vitamins B6 and B12 and Depression

Scientists have long hypothesized that depression is associated with a deficiency of B vitamins. A new report from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Volume 92, page 330) suggests that vitamins B6 and B12 may indeed protect older adults from the symptoms of depression. More...

Weight Gain: An Unwelcomed Side Effect of Psychiatric Medications

In recent decades, psychiatric medications have revolutionized the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, helping millions of people lead more fulfilling lives. Unfortunately, many of these medications are often associated with the unwelcome side effect of weight gain. More...

When Electroconvulsive Therapy Is the Right Choice

Many people think electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a thing of the past, but electroconvulsive therapy is still being used today, given its effectiveness in treating major depression. In recent years, the National Institute of Mental Health, the American Psychiatric Association, and the U.S. Surgeon General have all concluded that electroconvulsive therapy is a valuable tool in the treatment of certain mental disorders, particularly depression. More...

When Anxiety Spins Out of Control

Anxiety is a common, normal and often useful response to life's challenges and dangers. But in people who suffer from an anxiety disorder, anxiety levels spin out of control. This may cause psychological and physical symptoms that interfere with normal functioning, appear even in the absence of obvious external stressors or are clearly excessive in the face of the stressors. More...

What Causes Dysthymia?

Dysthymia is a chronic form of depression that is characterized by the presence of a depressed mood for most of the day, for more days than not, over a period of at least two years. Dysthymia may be intermittent and interspersed with periods of feeling normal, but these periods of improvement last for no more than two months. More...

Depression in the Elderly: Common But Hard to Diagnose

Depression and aging do not necessarily go hand in hand. A survey of Californians ages 50 to 95 found that factors such as chronic illness, physical disabilities and social isolation -- which often coincide with increasing age -- were stronger predictors of depression than age itself. That said, the incidence of depression is clearly higher in older adults. More...

Depression and Pain: What’s the Connection?

Depression clearly has a harmful effect on physical health, although the biological reasons for the link between body and mind are unclear. It may be that depression affects health because people develop a fatalistic attitude and stop taking care of themselves. Recently, a reader asked us: "Sometimes when I'm feeling depressed, my body also feels achy or I feel tired. Are these related?" Here’s what we know. More...

Psychotropic Polypharmacy on the Rise

Do you take more than one medication to treat your mood disorder? If you do, you’re not alone. A recent study from the Archives of General Psychiatry (Volume 67, page 26) finds that the number of adults being prescribed a combination of psychiatric medications is growing … and it may not be for the best. More...

The Power of Positive Psychology: How Focusing on What’s Right Can Help Fix What’s Wrong

Most forms of psychotherapy are based on discussing and analyzing negative thoughts and feelings. But some experts say this approach overlooks a larger issue: how to use psychology to emphasize the positive and increase happiness, not just fix problems. More...

Considering the Long-Term Effects of Antidepressant Medication

Approximately 18.8 million Americans suffer from depression. If you’re one of them and currently take antidepressant medication, you may be wondering: What are the long-term effects of taking antidepressants? More...

Move Your Way to a Better Mood

The last thing you might feel motivated to do when you're depressed is to run around the park or head to the gym for a workout. But research has repeatedly shown that exercise has significant mood-boosting effects in those suffering from depression and can be an important part of treatment. More...

Advantages and Disadvantages of Psychotherapy

Most people think of psychotherapy simply as counseling. In fact, the term psychotherapy is used to describe a variety of talk therapies that treat emotional, behavioral, personality and psychiatric disorders. More...

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