Survivors of a suicide include the person’s family members, friends, coworkers, and in many cases mental health clinicians. Survivors may struggle with grief and guilt for much longer than those mourning other types of death.
Adolescents are at higher risk of depression if they have a parent who is depressed or have had prior depression or exhibited depressive symptoms. Intervention programs are most effective when they target such higher-risk teens.
Many people being treated for depression do not experience relief from their symptoms after taking just one medication. Augmentation, typically with either a second medication or psychotherapy, is usually the next step in treatment.
In contrast to phobias like social anxiety disorder, which are related to specific situations, people with generalized anxiety disorder experience debilitating worry about anything, or nothing.
A study of treatment for depression in adolescents found that cognitive behavioral therapy and medication achieved results, but were more effective when combined.
Women are more likely than men to develop depression, seasonal affective disorder, or bipolar disorder. Researchers have examined genes, hormones, stress, and other factors in an effort to find an explanation for the discrepancy.
There is growing evidence that certain antidepressant medications may interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize the drug tamoxifen, which is prescribed to some women for breast cancer treatment.
There is growing evidence that the immune system’s response to inflammation may be linked to depression. Research is examining whether combining antidepressant medication with an anti-inflammatory may be more effective for certain patients.
About half of Americans with severe depression take some form of complementary therapy. Supplements such as St. John’s wort and folic acid are popular, but taking them does carry some risk.
Studies show that the primary value of regret is that it helps us understand our decisions and put them in context, so that we learn from our mistakes.