Though antidepressants are prescribed for people with varying degrees of depression, new research suggests that only people who suffer from severe depression are helped by the drugs. British scientists analyzed data from 35 clinical trials submitted to U.S. health regulators on antidepressants such as Prozac, Paxil, and Effexor. The researchers found that patients with mild or moderate depression received no better relief from antidepressants than they did with a placebo, while severely depressed patients were helped by the drugs. Join discussion...

Around 3-5% of adolescents are affected by clinical depression worldwide.1 2 3 4 Although specific data on depression are not available, an Australian survey found 26% of adolescents with mental disorders were treated in general or paediatric practice, while only 9% received care from specialist mental health services.3 Episodes of depression generally last about seven to nine months. Probability of relapse is 40% within two years and 70% after five years.5 Depression can be devastating to a yo Join discussion...

While depression appears to be common in early Parkinson’s disease (PD), it is often not treated or diagnosed, according to newly released research. A contingent of researchers from across North America found that just over 27 per cent of PD subjects screened positive for depression, while 40 per cent of subjects’ depression went untreated. This study, authored by Bernard Ravina, MD at the University of Rochester and funded by the National Institutes of Health in the USA, is the first to sys Join discussion...

Marriage provides greater psychological benefits to depressed people compared to people who are not depressed before they walk down the aisle, a new study reveals. This remains true even though marriage quality is poorer for depressed individuals. Adrianne Frech and Kristi Williams, Ph.D. from Ohio State University in Columbus co-wrote the study. It appears in the June issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Join discussion...

Stimulating different parts of the brain with implanted electrodes could help treat the nearly two million people in the United States who suffer from severe depression but fail to respond to conventional treatment. Join discussion...