New drug seems safe, effective for bipolar mania
NEW YORK, September 17 (Reuters Health) - People with bipolar disorder going though an acute manic episode seem to respond well to a novel antipsychotic drug called aripiprazole, according to a new study. full story »

Family-focused therapy helps bipolar patients cope
NEW YORK. September 11 (Reuters Health) - When patients with bipolar disorder and their families participate in an intensive family-focused therapy program, the patients have less severe mood swings, are able to function better, and can even avoid being hospitalized. full story »

Weight gain from antipsychotic drugs is reversible
NEW YORK, September 10 (Reuters Health) - A common side effect of many antipsychotic medications is increased appetite and weight gain, but a new study suggests that this doesn't happen to all patients. And even if they do gain weight, they can shed the extra pounds with diet and exercise, or even by switching medication. full story »

Cholesterol drugs seem to lower depression risk
NEW YORK, September 08 (Reuters Health) - People taking cholesterol-lowering "statin" drugs seem to be less likely to develop depression, researchers report. full story »

Genetic changes seen in major psychotic disorders
LONDON, September 05 (Reuters) - Two major psychotic illnesses, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, are related disorders that may have similar genetic causes, scientists said on Friday. full story »

Study shows drug lifts children's depression
CHICAGO, August 27 (Reuters) - An antidepressant popular with adults also helped many depressed children in a study released on Tuesday, although questions remain about its effectiveness compared with a placebo and whether it might stunt growth. full story »

Estrogen may help depression at menopause
NEW YORK, August 25 (Reuters Health) - Despite all the recent bad news about estrogen replacement therapy, results of a small study suggest that it may help women who suffer from depression while they're going through menopause. full story »

Depression doubles risk of dying after heart bypass
NEW YORK, August 22 (Reuters Health) - Patients with depression are more than twice as likely to die after undergoing surgery to bypass blocked coronary arteries than patients without this mental illness, according to a new study. full story »

Cholesterol drug may also prevent depression
NEW YORK, August 19 (Reuters Health) - Long-term treatment with cholesterol-lowering "statins" -- drugs like Zocor or Lipitor -- seems to be good not only for the heart but also for mental health, researchers in Boston report. full story »

Antidepressants may benefit heart patients: study
WASHINGTON, August 12 (Reuters) - A class of antidepressant drugs could make heart patients less likely to have a heart attack, U.S. researchers said on Monday. Drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as sertraline (Zoloft), make the blood less sticky and less likely to clot, they found. full story »

Antidepressant therapy may curb binge eating
NEW YORK, August 08 (Reuters Health) - For people with a binge-eating disorder, treatment with the antidepressant Celexa seems to help them deal with the problem. full story »

Group therapy helps children who witness violence
NEW YORK, August 05 (Reuters Health) - A brief group program for middle-school students exposed to violence substantially reduces problems of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. full story »

Antidepressants may protect brain from damage
NEW YORK, August 01 (Reuters Health) - Antidepressants may do more than improve the symptoms of depression. According to a new study, these drugs may actually protect the brain in individuals who have repeated bouts of major depression. full story »

Zoloft improves depression in Alzheimer's patients
NEW YORK, July 25 (Reuters Health) - The antidepressant Zoloft is helpful for treating the depression that often accompanies Alzheimer's disease, a new study shows. full story »

Electrical stimulator helps depression
CHICAGO, July 23 (Reuters) - The maker of a device that uses electrical pulses to stimulate the brain says it is effective for treating depression. full story »

Gene increases risk of depression after stress
WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - Having a short version of a certain gene may make people more susceptible to depression after stressful events, such as losing a job or a loved one, researchers reported on Thursday. full story »

Compulsive shopping disorder responds to drug
NEW YORK, July 17 (Reuters Health) - A daily dose of a drug used to treat depression--citalopram--reduced the buying impulses of 15 subjects diagnosed with compulsive shopping disorder, according to study findings from Stanford University researchers. full story »

B-vitamin problems may cause depression in some
NEW YORK, July 04 (Reuters Health) - New findings suggests that some people with depression might have problems metabolizing the B vitamin folate - supporting the idea that supplements could help ward off the condition, researchers say. full story »

Genome survey finds depression genes
WASHINGTON, July 02 (Reuters) - U.S. researchers using the newly published human gene map said on Wednesday they had identified 19 different genetic regions linked with depression. full story »

Antidepressant regimen aids bipolar disorder: study
LOS ANGELES, July 01 (Reuters) - Patients with bipolar disorder should continue taking antidepressants even after their symptoms have eased, researchers suggested on Tuesday, in a break with standard practice. full story »

Depression linked to higher Alzheimer's risk
NEW YORK, May 20 (Reuters Health) - People who have experienced depression in their lives may be more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than their relatives who have never shown signs of depression, according to the results of a new study. full story »

Study links migraine, major depression
NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that migraine headaches may raise the risk of major depression, and vice-versa. full story »

Antidepressant use not linked to birth defects
NEW YORK April 23 (Reuters Health) - Pregnant women who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the class of antidepressants that includes Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft, appear to be no more likely to have a baby with birth defects than other women, according to a study by California scientists. full story »

Highly educated may have poorer mental health
NEW YORK April 21 (Reuters Health) - Contrary to what they expected, a team of California researchers has found that highly educated workers may be more, not less, likely to have mental health problems in comparison to the general public. full story »

Many men need push to admit depression, experts say
NEW YORK, April 01 (Reuters Health) - Because it might be hard for guys to admit they're feeling blue, the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) is aiming to raise awareness that men suffer from depression, too. full story »

Study to compare St. John's wort, Rx antidepressant
WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters Health) - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it is beginning a four-year study that will see how the herbal remedy St. John's wort stacks up against a prescription drug when it comes to fighting depression. full story »

Experts: Shock therapy helps treat depression
NEW YORK, March 07 (Reuters Health) - Despite the controversy surrounding the procedure, electric shock therapy appears to be an effective treatment for psychiatric illness, and may lift patients' depression better than antidepressant drugs, UK researchers said Friday. full story »

Longer use of antidepressants cuts relapse rate
LONDON, March 02 (Reuters Health) - Use of antidepressants for one year or more, in addition to the four to six months standard treatment, cuts the relapse rate in half for people with depression, according to a new report. full story »

Most depressed teens never get diagnosis, care
WASHINGTON, February 20 (Reuters) - Nearly all US parents believe they can spot depression in their teenagers, but in fact two-thirds of adolescents are never diagnosed and left at risk of suicide, a survey published on Thursday says. full story »