Depression Plus HIV Can Turn Deadly

THURSDAY, April 4, 2019 -- When it coincides with HIV, depression appears associated with an increased risk of death, a new study says.

Researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Veteran's Aging Cohort Study to compare the risk of death among those with and without depression, and the association between depression and death among those with and without HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Abuse in Childhood Tied to Brain Changes and Later Depression

THURSDAY, March 21, 2019 -- Abuse during childhood can cause structural changes in the brain that increase a person's risk of severe and recurrent depression, a new study reveals.

The findings "add further weight to the notion that patients with clinical depression who were mistreated as children are clinically distinct" from people who didn't suffer such trauma in early life, said study leader Nils Opel. He's a psychiatric researcher at the University of Munster in Germany.

Brain Stimulation May Soothe Severe Depression

THURSDAY, March 28, 2019 -- For those who suffer debilitating depression, stimulating the brain can bring desperately needed relief, new research shows.

The study findings suggest that this type of therapy should be considered as an alternative or additional treatment for the toughest cases of the mood disorder.

Mental Health Woes Are Rising in Young Americans -- Is Social Media to Blame?

THURSDAY, March 14, 2019 -- Young Americans may be more vulnerable to depression, distress and suicidal thoughts or attempts than their parents' generation, and social media might be fueling that troubling trend.

So claims a review of a decade's worth of data on roughly 200,000 teens between the ages of 12 and 17, and 400,000 young adults over 18.

FDA Approves Ketamine-Like Drug for Severe Depression

WEDNESDAY, March 6, 2019 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the nasal spray medication esketamine -- a relative of the club drug and anesthetic ketamine -- for use against severe depression.

Sold as Spravato, the fast-acting drug becomes the first new type of medicine approved in years against an illness that plagues millions of Americans.

Long Work Weeks May Be Depressing, Especially for Women

TUESDAY, Feb. 26, 2019 -- Feeling trapped behind a desk, a counter or on the factory floor does no favors for the mind.

Now, research helps confirm that women with jobs that demand long hours may be more prone to depression.