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Latest Treatments for Depression

Depression is a serious illness that has a dramatic effect on the body and mind. Over time, depression affects many aspects of the way people function from eating and sleeping to behavior and social interactions. In America, more than 19 million people suffer from depressive disorders annually and require ongoing treatment in order to experience improvement. Recently, scientists and psychiatrists have discovered new and effective treatments for clinical depression and other mood disorders.

  1. Fast-Acting Drugs

    • A promising treatment for depression is on the horizon in the form of fast-acting antidepressants. When the drug Ketamine was tested in a 2007 study published online by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), relief from symptoms occurred in hours rather than in the usual weeks or months. Although it's unlikely that Ketamine will be approved for use because of its side effects, these findings may help scientist develop similar fast-acting antidepressants.

    Cognitive Therapy

    • In the NIMH-funded "Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression" (STAR*D) trial of 2007, it was shown that adding or switching to cognitive therapy following unsuccessful treatment attempts might work as well as changing or adding medication. This is viewed as an alternative to some medication treatments, even though it may take longer to achieve actual remission. These findings appeared in the May 2007 issue of "American Journal of Psychiatry."

    Telephone Therapy

    • In March 2007, a group health study revealed that subjects with moderate to acute depression experienced relief by getting therapy over the telephone. After receiving 10 to 12 telephone therapy sessions combined with traditional care, subjects showed more improvement of their symptoms than those who received only traditional treatment. It was further revealed that the benefits lasted more than six months past the final telephone session. The findings were released in a 2007 issue of the "Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology."

    Medication Design

    • Medication is not a new depression treatment, but experimentation with medication design, schedule and implementation has revealed innovative new results. A watershed study by the NIMH revealed that one in three subjects who used an antidepressant but still experienced depression became symptom-free after adding a second medication. The results of this study were published in the March 23, 2006, issue of "The New England Journal of Medicine."

    Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)

    • Vagus nerve stimulation alters the neurotransmitters and central nervous system activity in mood disorders. A 2005 study published in "Biological Psychiatry" compared the results of 124 people who received only traditional treatment against 205 people who combined traditional treatment with VNS. After one year, 27 percent of the patients who received VNS combined with standard treatment showed significant improvement vs. the 13 percent of patients who showed improvement after receiving only standard treatment.

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