A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Pixabay Images The majority of antidepressants do not work on children and teenagers and prescribing them could do more harm than good, a major study in The Lancet has warned. A review of clinical trial evidence found that of 14 antidepressant drugs only one, fluoxetine - marketed as Prozac - was better than placebo [...]
Pexel Images When girls come in for their physical exams, one of the questions I routinely ask is “Do you get your period?” I try to ask before I expect the answer to be yes, so that if a girl doesn’t seem to know about the changes of puberty that lie ahead, I [...]
Credit: Somsak Suwanput/ShutterStock Scientists have developed a new blood test that could finally lead to personalised depression treatments for patients, giving doctors a tool that can identify which antidepressants are likely to work for patients the first time around, instead of relying on trial and error. This could make a huge difference, because [...]
Thinkstock One of the smallest parts of the brain is getting a second look after new research suggests it plays a crucial role in decision making. A University of British Columbia study published today in Nature Neuroscience says the lateral habenula, a region of the brain linked to depression and avoidance behaviors, has been largely [...]
Credit: Syda Productions/Shutter Stock People who may be sliding toward depression might be able to prevent the full-blown disorder by completing some self-help exercises online, a new study suggests. Researchers found that men and women who had some symptoms of depression and used a web-based mental health program that was supported by an [...]
In the latest Beckley/Imperial study, we selected 12 people who had experienced depression over an average of 18 years, despite all that modern medicine can offer. Instead of daily medication, we wanted to know if their condition would improve after an “inner journey” on a 25mg dose of the psychedelic drug psilocybin. We also wanted to [...]
An illustration of the human brain with the hippocampus in yellow. Photo: Supplied People who suffer from depression have long known of the devastation that it can cause in their personal lives. Now scientists have shown the damage that it also wreaks upon their brains. A global study of 9000 people has found [...]
Getty Images As the mother of a high school senior who has struggled with depression for nearly 10 years, I’m anxious about how I can help her adjust to life on her own without smothering her or somehow enabling failure. Knowing exactly how supportive to be, while still being somewhat hands-off, can be [...]
Research has suggested that too much stress can lead to depression and dementia, Photo: Rex Features Too much stress in your life can ultimately lead to depression and dementia, scientists have warned. A major review of published research suggests that chronic stress and anxiety can damage areas of the brain involved in emotional [...]
Photo: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images To determine symptoms of depression, doctors may only need to look no further than a patient’s smart phone. While people can lie on questionnaires and fake it on Facebook with upbeat status updates, the GPS and usage data on their phones can be a good indicator if somebody is [...]
