Depression

Analysis and Comment (30)

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Telling people there’s no “cure” for depression or bipolar can leave them feeling like a victim. PA/Paul Faith

People with depression and bipolar must have more choice

By Steve Jones, Lancaster University

An increasing number of people are trying to cope with depression and bipolar in the UK. But we also have an over-reliance on drugs and waiting lists can be a year long for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy…
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Psychiatric diagnosis relies on identifying a patient’s signs and symptoms rather than clinical tests. PA/Ben Birchall

Explainer: what is the DSM?

By Peter Kinderman, University of Liverpool

Traditional psychiatry uses the approaches of medicine to try to understand mental health problems and guide treatment. This means relying on diagnosis – identifying what are believed to be mental illnesses…
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Barriers can reduce the number of suicides at a particular location but broader means restriction measures are more complex. AAP/Dan Peled

Reducing access to the means of suicide

By Samara McPhedran, Griffith University and Kairi Kolves, Griffith University

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk’s recent announcement that barriers are to be erected on the Story Bridge in an effort to reduce suicides is very welcome. Studies consistently show that barriers have…
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Finding out that you a genetically predisposed to depression can make you feel worse. Lloyd Morgan

Genetic testing for depression creates an ethical minefield

By Victoria J Palmer, University of Melbourne

A friend of mine is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment following surgery for breast cancer. Recently, she told me that she would happily pay the AUS$4000 for a genetic test to detect whether she…
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Many cultures believe that dreams tell the future, and the messages in our dreams are warnings. Gisela Giardino

The science of interpreting common symbols in dreams

By Lance Storm

Research shows that everyone, even those who claim they never dream, actually do. But few of us can make any sense of our dreams. My colleagues and I have been working on a way to try to make sense of…
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Learning more about the contribution of multiple risk factors to major depressive disorder will help predict risk. Iris Shreve Garrott

Predicting the risk of depressive disorder – promises and pitfalls

By Alex Wilde

The possibility of harnessing genetic science to head off major depressive disorder, the world’s leading cause of disability, is getting closer. But molecular intervention for this common multifactorial…
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Drugs treat symptoms but do nothing to help people navigate depression. Shutterstock

Treating depression ethically requires more than drugs

By Paul Biegler, Monash University

Spot the problem in this scenario. Richard* is stressed. While he’s a high-flyer (a Rhodes Scholar no less), he’s under the pump at work and has just moved his family across nations. The job is taking…
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Depression is more than the experience of sadness or stress. Sander van der Wel

Explainer: what is depression?

By Philip Batterham; Amelia Gulliver, and Lou Farrer

Many people know what it’s like to feel sad or down from time to time. We can experience negative emotions due to many things – a bad day at work, a relationship break-up, a sad film, or just getting out…
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Governments, industry and communities must work together to address suicide risk factors for FIFO/DIDO workers. AAP/Bagus Indahono

Mining, fly-in, fly-out workers and the risk of suicide

By Samara McPhedran, Griffith University

Barely a week passes without media coverage of some aspect of the real or perceived impacts of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in drive-out (DIDO) work, especially in the mining sector. We hear about the…
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Trials show ketamine acts more quickly than other antidepressants because it affects different parts of the brain. JLM Photography

Special K: ketamine’s road from tranquilliser to possible antidepressant

By Colleen Loo

The drug ketamine has been used for medical purposes since it was developed in the 1960s, but it is perhaps more widely known for its illicit use as a hallucinogenic tranquiliser. Now we’re beginning to…
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Over seven million Australian adults have experienced a mental illness. Image from shutterstock.com

Mental health report card: it’s time to address quality of life

By Allan Fels, Australia New Zealand School of Government

The National Mental Health Commission (NMHC) today released its first annual report card on the state of mental health and suicide prevention services in Australia. Called A Contributing Life, the report…
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People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing emotional problems than the general population. sriram bala/Flickr

How psychological support can help people living with diabetes

By Jane Speight, Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes; Christel Hendrieckx, Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes, and Jessica L. Browne, Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes

Medical advances are important but we believe the key to living successfully with diabetes is something else entirely. Paying attention to the behavioural and psychological aspects of the condition is…
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It’s normal to have recurring waves of grief after the loss of a loved one but prolonged, severe grief requires treatment. white ribbons

Why prolonged grief should be listed as a mental disorder

By Richard Bryant

MATTERS OF THE MIND – a series which examines the clinician’s bible for diagnosing mental disorders, the DSM, and the controversy surrounding the forthcoming fifth edition. Grief is one of the most universal…
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Many non-western cultures recognise states of mind that look like mental illness but don’t fit DSM categories. Todd Huffman

Strange or just plain weird? Cultural variation in mental illness

By Dominic Murphy

MATTERS OF THE MIND – a series which examines the clinician’s bible for diagnosing mental disorders, the DSM, and the controversy surrounding the forthcoming fifth edition. There’s an old saying that…
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Sadness is a natural human emotion. D Sharon Pruitt/Flickr.

Is the promotion of happiness making us sad?

By Brock Bastian

Western culture places an extraordinary emphasis on happiness – and continuous happiness – as the goal each of us should strive for in our lives. But we’re increasingly realising this goal may actually…
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Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder which affects between 1% and 6% of the population. thewoodenshoes/Flickr

Explainer: what is bipolar disorder?

By Greg Murray, Swinburne University of Technology

During a manic episode, the main character of popular television series Homeland, CIA agent Carrie Mathison (played by Claire Danes) colour codes the evidence in a terrorism case, making vital links that…
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Emo music may be bleak but there’s no evidence to show it causes depression. Flickr/Corrie

Monday’s medical myth: emo music makes you depressed

By Andy Brader, Queensland University of Technology

Like death metal and grunge before it, emo music has copped more than its fair share of criticism since it rose to prominence a decade ago. Rather than being seen as an outlet for young people to express…
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Long-term meditators have larger sections of the brain responsible for regulating emotion. Tezatrataz/Phra Ajan Jerapunyo Abbot of Watkungtaphao

Beyond spirituality: the role of meditation in mental health

By Jonathan Krygier and Andrew Kemp

Meditation has traditionally been associated with Eastern mysticism but science is beginning to show that cultivating a “heightened” state of consciousness can have a major impact on our brain, the way…
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You can use all kinds of iPhone apps to track and improve your health. chunghow33

Reviewing the top medical iPhone apps … what’s the diagnosis?

By Merlin Thomas, Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute; Daniel Quintana; Gary Sacks, Deakin University; Harrison Weisinger, Deakin University; Karen Simmer, University of Western Australia; Nasser Dhim; Neale Cohen, Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, and Sally Ferguson

Want to quit smoking, lose weight, manage your diabetes or get a good night’s sleep? No worries. There’s an app for all of that. But it’s not always clear which medical apps are based on solid evidence…
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ECT is the most rapid and effective treatment for depression but it’s still plagued with stigma. Irina Souiki

It’s time to move on from ECT’s shocking past

By Paul Fitzgerald, Monash University

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has come a long way since earlier, darker days when it was known as electric shock therapy and conjured images from One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest. But just when it seems…
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Illness is inextricably linked to lifestyle stressors. Michael Clesle

To improve men’s health, treat the cause not just the illness

By John Macdonald, University of Western Sydney

Whichever way you look at it, men’s health in Australia is uniformly worse than women’s. Men die, on average, five years earlier than women born at the same time and are likely to experience more health…

Research and News (10)

Research Briefs (30)

New mothers are anxious – not depressed

Penn State College of Medicine

A study has found that anxiety is more common than depression among new mothers. Researchers surveyed mothers of healthy…

Living alone increases depression risk

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health

People living alone are 80% more likely to develop depression than any other social group. Finnish researchers studied 3…

Depression diminishes ability to hate

Molecular Psychiatry

Depression affects various areas of the brain including the area that controls the feeling of hatred, according to a study…

Participants (128)