What Is Depression?
Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable.
Depression
Learn about depression, including symptoms, risk factors, treatment options and answers to your questions.
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E-Cigarettes and Vaping
The use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, involves using electronic cigarettes to inhale vapor created from a liquid heated inside a device. The devices use batteries to power heating elements that create the vapor that is inhaled by the user. E-cigarettes take different forms: some look like regular cigarettes or pipes and some look like pens, flash drives and other everyday items.
City Living and Mental Well-being
More than half the world’s population lives in cities, and the number is expected to continue to increase in the coming decades. Living in urban areas has been associated with increased risk for mental disorders, including anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. Research using functional magnetic resonance imaging has identified changes in the brain indicating that urban upbringing and city living are linked to social stress processing.
Light, Sleep and Mental Health
Light, both natural and artificial, can affect our health and mental health in several different ways. Depending on the time of day, light exposure can promote or disrupt sleep. A persistently disrupted sleep cycle can contribute to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, obesity and mental health disorders. Research is also beginning to clarify non-circadian effects of light – light can have a direct impact on the sleep and mood centers in the brain.
Not Only Amount, But Timing of Sleep Can Be Important for Mental Health
The amount and quality of sleep we get are important to both physical and mental health. Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances are associated with the onset and worsening of some mental health disorders – including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. A new research review highlights the prevalence of these disturbances in people with mental health disorders and suggests that disturbances in sleep and internal body clocks can trigger or exacerbate mental health issues
New Research in American Journal of Psychiatry Identifies Risk Factors for Suicide Attempt Among Soldiers
New research in the American Journal of Psychiatry identifies factors that may help assess suicide risk in soldiers. According to the study, Predictors of Suicide Attempt Within 30 Days After First Medically Documented Suicidal Ideation in U.S. Army Soldiers, suicide risk was highest within 30 days after ideation diagnosis and was more likely among women and combat medics.
Genetic Testing to Improve Psychiatric Medication Choice
Genetic testing is being marketed and used for a variety of different purposes, such as confirming or ruling out a suspected genetic condition or helping determine a person’s chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder. It is also being marketed to improve the selection of medication for mental illness, such as depression. However, several recent expert reviews caution that while it holds much potential, the evidence does not yet show genetic testing is effective in improving psychiatr
New APA Healthy Minds Monthly Poll Finds that Nearly 40% of Americans Face Declining Mood in Winter
With most of the country ready to “fall back” this weekend, nearly a quarter (24%) of Americans report that they generally feel depressed in the winter. Two in five (38%) say their overall mood declines in the winter. But they do look forward to certain winter traditions: 44% of Americans look forward to spending time with friends and family during the holidays and 49% say enjoying good food improves their mood.
Check Out These Featured Sessions During the 2024 APA Annual Meeting
The 2024 APA Annual Meeting features over 500 educational sessions ranging across many topics pertinent to your professional practice.
VIDEO: Richard Kogan, M.D., on The Mind and Music of Tchaikovsky
Richard Kogan, M.D., was scheduled to deliver a talk on “Tchaikovsky: Music and Melancholy,” at the APA Annual Meeting in April. It was to be part of a series of lecture-performances that he has presented over the years at APA’s Annual Meetings on the connections between musical artistry and mental illness.
Explore Sessions on Clinical Updates at the 2024 Annual Meeting
Check out some featured sessions in the Clinical Updates track at this year's Annual Meeting.