Increase text size: A A A

Type in the condition you need,
or visit Advanced Search

Print this page

Email this to a friend

Comment on this page

Save to my Health Library

Johns Hopkins Health Alert

Research on Depression

Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Depression and Anxiety |

Research on Depression

Depression Study 1: Mild Sadness Can Trigger Depression Relapse

People who recover from major depression may experience marked sensitivity to emotional stress, raising the risk of falling back into dysfunctional and depressive thought patterns, according to a Canadian study. Even mild negative moods can reactivate the thinking styles associated with depression and may predict the recurrence of major depression.

The study, which was reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry (Volume 63, page 749), had two phases:

  • Phase 1 -- Investigators enrolled 301 patients, age 18–65, with a diagnosis of major depression. Participants were randomly assigned to receive treatment for six months with an antidepressant drug or weekly cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions.
  • Phase 2 -- 99 patients who had recovered from their depression were exposed to melancholy music and asked to recall a time in their lives when they felt sad, as a means of provoking a sad mood. Patients who received drug therapy were more likely to fall into negative thinking patterns as a result of their sad mood, compared with those who had undergone CBT. The greater the reactivation of dysfunctional thinking, the more likely the patient was to relapse into major depression over the next 18 months.

To prevent depression relapses, it is vital to teach people skills to monitor and recognize dysfunctional thinking when they’re feeling down and then inhibit or disengage from such thoughts.

Depression Study 2: Five Years of Depression Research

A review of developments in depression research over the past five years suggests that, despite the availability of effective treatments, depression among adults remains a common and often untreated condition.

Medications remain the mainstay of depression treatment and the most likely choice for most depressed patients, because they are effective and readily available, with benefits that outweigh the potential for an increase in suicidal thoughts or withdrawal problems.

Electroconvulsive therapy has proven the most effective treatment for depression but, because it involves general anesthesia and may cause memory loss, it is typically only used when depression is treatment resistant, psychotic symptoms such as delusions are present, medication has failed, or a patient is acutely suicidal.

Depression has been linked to cognitive impairment -- compromised ability to process information, remember things, and maintain mental flexibility. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans show that the size of a part of the brain known as the hippocampus is reduced in people with major depression and that antidepressant medications may reverse these changes. MRI studies further show that people with depression have abnormally high activity levels in emotion-related areas of the brain and decreased activity in cognition-related regions. This data was reported in The Lancet (Volume 367, page 153).

Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Depression and Anxiety |

Research on Depression

Posted in Depression and Anxiety on September 5, 2007
Reviewed July 2009

Notify Me

Would you like us to inform you when we post new Depression and Anxiety Health Alerts?

Your email address:

Comments

Post a Comment

Health Alerts registered users may post comments and share experiences here at their own discretion. We regret that questions on individual health concerns to the Johns Hopkins editors cannot be answered in this space.

The views expressed here do not constitute medical advice, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins Medicine or MediZine LLC, which has no responsibility for any comments posted on this site.


This is one of the most important bulletins I have read here at this site. Depression is so common among us older men, and it is so true that even a mild onset of sadness can trigger depression. That is one of my greatest gears. So I work to fight depression on every front that I can. Thanks for this article. harryknisely

Posted by: harryknisely | September 11, 2007



Post a Comment


New to the Johns Hopkins Health Alerts?
Signup

User Name:


This appears next to your comment.


Email Address:

(this will not be posted)
This will be your login ID.

Password:

Confirm Password:


Receive Health Alerts?

Notify me when new comments are posted?

Comment (offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)

Already a subscriber?
Login

Email:

Password:


Forgot your password?

(800) 829-0422

Registered Users Log-in:

Email:

Password:

Remember me
Forgot Password?

Become a Registered User!
It's fast and FREE!
The Benefits of Being A Registered User

Health Topic Pages

Arthritis +Add
Back Pain & Osteoporosis +Add
Cancer
Caregivers | Caregiving
Colon Cancer +Add
Complementary Medicine
Depression & Anxiety +Add
Diabetes +Add
Digestive Health +Add
Enlarged Prostate +Add
Exercise and Fitness
Healthy Living +Add
Heart Health +Add
Hypertension & Stroke +Add
Lung Disorders +Add
Memory +Add
Men's Health
Nutrition +Add
Prescription Drugs +Add
Prostate Disorders +Add
Sexual Health
Vision +Add
Weight Control +Add
Women's Health
Health Alert Special Report


ALL NEW!Number One of America's Best Hospitals 2009: Johns Hopkins

The Johns Hopkins Hospital has been ranked #1 again in the Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals by
U.S. News and World Report for the 19th consecutive year.


Please visit here for more information about Johns Hopkins Patient Services


© 2009 MediZine LLC. All rights reserved.
Contact Us
customerservice@johnshopkinshealthalerts.com