Publications - Depression

Test 'predicts' teen depression risk, by James Gallagher, BBC , Feb 17 2014.

“A tool for predicting the risk of clinical depression in teenage boys has been developed by researchers. Looking for high levels of the stress hormone cortisol and reports of feeling miserable, lonely or unloved could find those at greatest risk. ”

Less Sleep, More Time Online Raise Risk For Teen Depression, by Maanvi Singh, NPR , Feb 6 2014.

“The teenage years are a tumultuous time, with about 11 percent developing depression by age 18. Lack of sleep may increase teenagers' risk of depression, two studies say. Teenagers who don't get enough sleep are four times as likely to develop as their peers who sleep more, according to researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. ”

In Texting Era, Crisis Hotlines Put Help at Youths’ Fingertips, by Leslie Kaufman, New York Times, Feb 4 2014.

“While counseling by phone remains far more prevalent, texting has become such a fundamental way to communicate, particularly among people under 20, that crisis groups have begun to adopt it as an alternative way of providing emergency services and counseling. Texting provides privacy that can be crucial if a person feels threatened by someone near them, counselors say. It also looks more natural if the teenager is in public. ”

Beat Teen Depression: Your Perfect Guide in Helping a Depressed Teen, by Sarah Gilberts, 2014.

Teen Depression: The Ultimate Guide To Overcoming Depression For Teens And Young Adults, by David Leman, 2014.

Depression's Tipping Point, by Sarah P. Williams, Science News , Dec 9 2013.

“Someday, a smart phone app that asks what you’re feeling 10 times a day may be able to tell you if you’re edging closer to depression-and recommend that you seek preventive therapy or drugs. Scientists have discovered that how quickly someone bounces back from negative feelings, over hours or days, can predict whether that person is at risk of an episode of major depressive disorder. ”

Military deployments tied to teens' depression, by Kathleen Raven, Reuters , Nov 29 2013.

“Adolescents who experience the deployment of a family member in the U.S. military may face an increased risk of depression, suggests a new study. Ninth- and eleventh-grade students in California public schools with two or more deployment experiences over the past decade were 56 percent more likely to feel sad or hopeless compared with their non-military-family peers, the researchers found. The same kids were 34 percent more likely to have suicidal thoughts. ”

Rat Study Aids Understanding of Depression Treatment, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Nov 25 2013.

“A new study identifies a small area of the brain that appears to be important for decision-making and depression treatment. University of British Columbia researchers believe the lateral habenula, a region of the brain linked to depression and avoidance behaviors, has been largely misunderstood and may be integral in cost-benefit decisions. ”

Sleep Therapy Seen as an Aid for Depression, by Benedict Carey, New York Times , Nov 18 2013.

“Curing insomnia in people with depression could double their chance of a full recovery, scientists are reporting. The findings, based on an insomnia treatment that uses talk therapy rather than drugs, are the first to emerge from a series of closely watched studies of sleep and depression to be released in the coming year. ”

Childhood Maltreatment Can Leave Scars In The Brain, by Jon Hamilton, NPR , Nov 4 2013.

“Maltreatment during childhood can lead to long-term changes in brain circuits that process fear, researchers say. This could help explain why children who suffer abuse are much more likely than others to develop problems like anxiety and depression later on ”

Social Media Is Redefining 'Depression', by Anne-Sophie Bine, The Atlantic, Oct 28 2013.

“This online cultivation of beautiful sadness is easy to join: anyone can take a picture, turn it black and white, pair it with a quote about misunderstood turmoil, and automatically be gratified with compassion and pity. And this readily accessible sea of dark poetry could easily drown out those whose suffering has reached the clinical level. During the vulnerable years during which adolescents seek out self-affirmation and recognition from others, this new, easy promise of being recognized as strong, beautiful, and mysterious by Tumblr followers can be very tempting, says Dr. Mark Reinecke, chief psychologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. ”

When patients have 'music emergencies', by Elizabeth Landau, CNN , Aug 23 2013.

“There is scientific research to back up the idea that music has healing properties. A 2013 analysis by Daniel Levitin, a prominent psychologist who studies the neuroscience of music at McGill University in Montreal, and his colleagues highlighted a variety of evidence: for instance, one study showed music's anti-anxiety properties, another found music was associated with higher levels of immunoglobin A, an antibody linked to immunity. The brain's reward center responds to music -- a brain structure called the striatum releases the chemical dopamine, associated with pleasure. Food and sex also have this effect. The dopamine rush could even be comparable to methamphetamines, Robert Zatorre, professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Montreal Neurological Institute, told CNN last year. ”

Outdoor Activities Can Improve Your Mental Health, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Jul 26 2013.

“Veterans were surveyed before and after a multi-day wilderness recreation experience, which involved camping and hiking in groups of between six and 12 participants. More than half of participants reported that they frequently experienced physical or mental health problems in everyday life. One week after the experience, veterans reported a greater than 10 percent improvement in several measures of psychological well-being, a 9 percent increase in social functioning, and a nearly 8 percent gain in positive life outlook. ”

Apps for Mastering Your Mood, by Maia Szalavitz, Time Magazine , Jul 18 2013.

“"How do you feel?" can be a surprisingly difficult question to answer, but new apps are making it possible to track the ups and downs of your emotional weather as easily as EKGs graph heart rate. New fitness devices allow you to track your heart rate, the amount of calories you burn, your skin temperature and even changing electrical conductance on your body, so why not the ebb and flow of mood? A recent poll found that nearly 70% of Americans track at least one physical health indicator and 21% of them rely on some type of app to keep them updated on how they’re doing. ”

Medication or Talk Therapy? PET Scans May Personalize Depression Treatment, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central , Jul 5 2013.

“Through the use of high-tech brain imaging, scientists can now tell if a person with depression would be better helped by talk therapy or medication. Researchers have identified a region of the brain that "lights up" in response to either counseling or medication. Currently, most doctors treat patients on a trial-and-error basis, and unfortunately, the first treatment for depression often fails, said Helen Mayberg, M.D., a researcher at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. ”