2022 Depression

When one person in a family experiences depression, it's important that they get support from the rest of the household. Unfortunately, new research suggests that depression symptoms can spread among family members under certain circumstances.

Findings from a recent study suggest that children who have fathers with depression may develop similar symptoms and behavior issues over time. Interestingly, the researchers found that fathers and their children did not have to be genetically related for this to happen.

"A lot of research focuses on depression within biologically related families," said Penn State professor Jenae Neiderhiser. "Now more information is becoming available for adoptive families and blended families."

Depression and behavior problems 

The researchers came to their conclusions after studying over 700 families who participated in the Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development study. Family members were asked to answer questions about depression symptoms, behaviors, and parent-child conflicts. The team then took that data and examined how fathers' depression symptoms were related to their children's behaviors.

The researchers found that there was a link between depression and behaviors between fathers and children, even in blended families where there was no genetic link. They say conflicts between fathers and their children may be a factor that causes depression or behavior problems in young people. However, further studies would likely be necessary to determine a causal link.

"It would be great to do more studies on step and blended families," said Neiderhiser. "They tend to be an underutilized natural experiment we could learn more from to help us disentangle the impacts of environmental factors and genetics on families."

The full study has been published in the journal Development and Psychopathology.

A new study conducted by researchers from Michigan Medicine explored mental health struggles among professionals in the medical community.

According to their findings, certain types of first-year doctors – surgical residents and members of sexual minorities – may have a higher risk of developing depression. The report pulled data from two recent studies, both from teams at the University of Michigan, that explored medical professionals’ mental health struggles. 

Surgical interns have higher depression risk

The first study looked at first-year surgical interns. The researchers analyzed data from 12,400 interns involved in the Intern Health Study between 2016 and 2020. Interns were surveyed about their mental health at the start of their training and then at several points throughout their journeys. 

While the surgical interns started their programs with lower average rates of depression than other medical professionals, this trend didn’t last long. Even for those with no mental health struggles at the start of intern training, depression symptoms popped up in more than 30% of the surgical interns. For those who had developed depression during this time, they were nearly 65% as likely to maintain those symptoms beyond their first year of training. 

Despite rising cases of depression, the interns weren’t likely to seek professional mental health services. Just 26% of those with depression reported taking care of their mental health during this time. Overall, the researchers found that surgical interns were the most likely medical specialty to develop depression during this first year of training. 

“Surgical training, especially in the United States, can be a period of intense stress, which we find is linked to new onset of depression,” said researcher Dr. Tasha Hughes. “These findings suggest a need for surgical program directors, leaders, and health systems to continue to find ways to mitigate the effects of surgical training, normalize help-seeking, make mental health support easily available, and pay special attention to those with characteristics that might put them at an increased risk.”

Higher stress for LGTBQ members

The second study analyzed data from more than 7,000 interns in the Intern Health Study from 2016 through 2018. Participants were surveyed on their mental health and also reported on their sexual orientation. 

While just over 7% of the participants reported being a member of a sexual minority -- including gay, bisexual, lesbian, or another non-heterosexual group -- depression rates were high among these interns. First-year interns who weren’t heterosexual were more likely to have high depression scores, which only got higher over time. The researchers found that the second half of the intern year was the hardest for non-heterosexual doctors. 

“These results indicate that interns who are part of sexual minority groups may experience unique workplace stressors leading to a widening disparity in mental health,” said researcher Tejal Patel.

“This is important to note because as physicians become more depressed, this can lead to greater risk of medical errors and attrition from medicine. As a result, it may be hard for sexual minority patients to find a physician with whom they can relate, and who will be the right fit for them.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Cincinnati explored how socioeconomic factors may affect consumers’ mental health treatment. According to their findings, those with lower incomes and less education may have poorer outcomes related to depression treatment. 

“If you’re going home to a wealthy neighborhood with highly educated parents or spouse, then you’re arguably in a much better environment for the treatment to be effective than if you’re going to a poor neighborhood with other problems,” said researcher Jeffrey Mills, Ph.D. 

Barriers to depression treatment

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 665 patients enrolled in the CO-MED trial. The participants reported on their socioeconomic background and all received the same access to depression treatments. 

The researchers identified a few socioeconomic factors that impacted the participants’ response to their mental health treatments. For starters, treatment efficacy for participants who didn’t have a college degree was roughly 10% lower than it was for college graduates. 

“We think about these things in terms of access, we think about them in terms of inequality, and I realize that education does track with those, but just having a college degree while controlling for all these other factors still had a significant impact,” said researcher Dr. Jeffrey Strawn. 

The study also showed that participants whose income was at the 25th percentile improved their mental health about 5% less than participants whose income was at the 75th percentile. Similarly, non-white participants improved their mental health 11.3% less than white participants. The researchers also learned that a combination of these socioeconomic factors was linked with a much lower improvement rate. 

Improving access to mental health care

With a better understanding of how socioeconomic factors can affect consumers’ treatment outcomes, these findings highlight the importance of improving access to mental health services and legislation regarding minimum wage and general economic policy. 

“Someone employed at a higher wage has a chance to improve their socioeconomic status and environment, and so they’re definitely less likely to get mental health problems,” Dr. Mills said. “If people with higher socioeconomic status do get mental health problems, what we’re showing is they’re more likely to improve if they get treatment.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Granada explored the link between heart health and depression. According to their findings, consumers who struggle with cardiovascular risk factors may have a higher risk of developing depression in later life. 

“Cardiovascular disease and depression are thought to be closely related, due to shared risk factors,” the researchers wrote. “Improving cardiovascular health could prevent the onset of depression in the elderly.” 

How heart health affects mental health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 6,500 older participants with obesity who spent an average of two years following the Mediterranean diet. The participants completed questionnaires to assess their depression at the start of the study and two years into the study. The researchers then measured their heart disease risk with the Framingham-based REGICOR scale, which assessed participants' risk as low, medium, or high/very high. 

Ultimately, the team identified a link between cardiovascular disease risks and the risk of depression-related symptoms. Participants with the highest risk of cardiovascular disease also showed the highest risk of depression compared to those who had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Overall, the team found that women were more likely than men to develop depression and that the Mediterranean diet was associated with fewer depression-related symptoms; those who had higher REGICOR scores and stayed consistent with the Mediterranean diet saw the biggest improvements in their depression symptoms. 

Cholesterol was another important factor related to depression risk. The study found that participants in the medium and high risk cardiovascular groups with cholesterol levels under 160 mg/mL at the start of the study had a higher risk of developing depression. On the other hand, these participants had a lower risk of depression when they started the study with cholesterol levels of 280 mg/mL or higher. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope more work is done in this area to better understand how factors like diet and cholesterol can affect consumers’ mental health as they go into older age. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Iowa State University explored how exercise can benefit consumers’ mental health. The study showed that regular exercise can help reduce depression-related symptoms and enhance the positive effects of therapy. 

“A lot of previous research on the effects of exercise on mental health, in general, have used very broad measures of well-being,” said researcher Jacob Meyer. “What we were interested in, specifically, is: how does acute exercise – that is, one session of exercise in a day – influence the primary symptoms of depression.” 

Mental health benefits of exercise

The researchers had 30 adults with a history of depressive episodes participate in the study. Participants reported on their depression symptoms before a 30-minute cycling session and then again 25 minutes, 50 minutes, and 75 minutes after the workout. A week later, the participants went through the same survey process -- but instead of cycling, they sat still for 30 minutes. 

The study showed that exercise was associated with improvements in key areas related to depression. The researchers observed notable improvements to the participants’ depressive moods – such as feeling discouraged, sad, or gloomy – 30 minutes after exercise and through the first 75 minutes after exercise. 

They also noted that anhedonia, or difficulty experiencing pleasure during previously enjoyable activities, also improved after exercise; however, the researchers found that these benefits started to drop off by the 75-minute mark. 

“The cool thing is these benefits to depressed mood state and anhedonia could last beyond 75 minutes,” said Meyer. “We would need to do a longer study to determine when they start to wane, but the results suggest a window of time post-exercise when it may be easier or more effective for someone with depression to do something psychologically or cognitively demanding.” 

Getting the most out of therapy

The team then conducted another short study to better understand how consumers can leverage exercise and their therapy sessions to see the greatest improvements to their mental health. Over the course of eight weeks, five participants exercised for 30 minutes before a therapy session and another five participants carried out their usual routines before therapy. 

While both groups experienced mental health benefits, those who exercised prior to their therapy sessions reported a greater reduction in depression symptoms. Participants who exercised reported feeling more connected to their therapists, which the researchers believe helped them dive more deeply into topics during sessions.

“Overall, the pilot study showed people were interested and would stick with the combined approach, and that exercise seemed to have some effects on depression and a couple of the mechanisms in therapy,” Meyer said. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital explored some of the risks associated with medical marijuana. Their findings showed that consumers may be prone to developing cannabis use disorder once they start using the drug for medical purposes. 

“There have been many claims about the benefits of medical marijuana for treating pain, insomnia, anxiety, and depression, without sound scientific evidence to support them,” said researcher Jodi Gilman, Ph.D.

“In this first study of patients randomized to obtain medical marijuana cards, we learned there can be negative consequences to using cannabis for medical purposes. People with pain, anxiety, or depression symptoms failed to report any improvements, though those with insomnia experienced improved sleep. 

Risks of cannabis use 

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 2017 that tracked nearly 270 adults in Boston who were trying to get medical marijuana cards. While one study group had to wait 12 weeks to get the cards, the other group was given medical marijuana cards immediately. The team followed the participants’ health outcomes over the course of 12 weeks to understand how access to medical marijuana affected them. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that immediate access to a medical marijuana card posed some risks to the consumers’ health. The study showed that cannabis use disorder was twice as likely in those who had access to the medical marijuana cards immediately when compared to those who had to wait the 12 weeks. 

The team learned that the risk of cannabis use disorder was also higher in those using the treatment for mental health concerns. Participants struggling with depression or anxiety were 20% more likely to develop cannabis use disorder.

The researchers also found that many of the participants didn’t report any benefits of using cannabis to treat their medical symptoms. While the drugs were effective at improving insomnia symptoms, those struggling with chronic pain or mental health concerns didn’t experience any notable improvements. 

“Our study underscores the need for better decision-making about whether to begin to use cannabis for specific medical complaints, particularly mood and anxiety disorders, which are associated with an increased risk of cannabis use disorder,” Dr. Gilman said. “There needs to be better guidance to patients around a system that currently allows them to choose their own products, decide their own dosing, and often receive no professional care or follow-up.” 

Countless studies have looked at the ways air pollution can be detrimental to consumers’ physical health, and now researchers from the American Psychological Association explored how pollutants can also harm our mental health. 

According to their findings, teens exposed to ozone from air pollution may be more likely to experience depression-related symptoms. This was true even for those in areas that met air quality standards. 

“I think our findings really speak to the importance of considering air pollution’s impact on mental health in addition to physical health,” said researcher Erika Manczak, Ph.D. 

Mental health concerns

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 210 kids between the ages of 9 and 13 living in the San Francisco area. To understand what impact air pollution had on the kids’ mental health, the team compared data from the California Environmental Protection Agency with mental health evaluations over the course of four years. 

The researchers identified a relationship between air pollution exposure and depression symptoms. The study showed that exposure to higher levels of ozone, which typically comes from power plants or car exhaust, increased the likelihood of experiencing symptoms related to depression. These symptoms became more severe as the study progressed. 

This was true despite the fact that all of the participants lived in neighborhoods that were in compliance with local and national air quality standards. 

“It was surprising that the average level of ozone was fairly low even in the communities with relatively higher ozone exposure,” Dr. Manczak said. “This really underscores the fact that even low levels of ozone exposure have potentially harmful effects. "

The researchers believe the link between air pollution and depression comes down to inflammation. Exposure to ozone has been associated with a spike in inflammation, which also makes consumers more susceptible to depression. The more time that kids spend outdoors, the greater their exposure is to these pollutants. This can ultimately increase the risk of depression. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope policymakers do more work to help protect consumers from air pollution exposure. 

“I believe state and federal air quality standards should be stricter, and we should have tighter regulations on industries that contribute to pollution,” said Dr. Manczak. “Our findings and other studies suggest that even low levels of ozone exposure can pose potentially serious risks to both physical and mental health.” 

In new research, experts broke down what treatment rates for major depressive disorder look like around the world. Their work showed that treatment rates remain low across the globe, with the biggest disparities coming in low- and middle-income countries. 

“Treatment coverage for major depressive disorder continues to be low globally, with many individuals failing to receive a level of care consistent with practice guideline recommendations,” said researcher Alize Ferrari. “This highlights the need to reconsider the availability of appropriate care and facilitators of treatment as we respond to the large burden imposed by this disorder.” 

Disparities in mental health care

To better understand what treatment for depression looks like around the world, the researchers analyzed nearly 150 earlier studies from 84 countries that were conducted between 2000 and 2021. 

The researchers observed that treatment rates for depression continue to be low around the world. It’s also important to note that there are significant disparities in treatment rates depending on a country's income level, with low-income countries having even lower depression treatment rates. The treatment rate in high-income countries topped out at 33%, whereas that figure was under 10% in low-income countries. 

The study also found that women were more likely than men to seek out mental health treatments. Older study participants were also more likely than younger participants to start depression treatment. 

The researchers explained that these findings point to a global issue related to mental health care – especially for consumers in low-income countries. While it’s not uncommon in high-income areas for consumers to have access to dedicated mental health institutions and resources, the same isn’t true for all countries across the world.

A new study conducted by researchers from the Van Andel Research Institute found that women’s blood may predict their likelihood of developing depression during pregnancy. Their work showed that inflammatory markers in the blood are likely to identify those who have the highest risk of pregnancy-related depression. 

“Depression isn’t just something that happens in the brain – its fingerprints are everywhere in the body, including our blood,” said researcher Dr. Lena Brundin. “The ability to predict pregnancy-related depression and its severity will be a gamechanger for protecting the health of mothers and their infants. Our findings are an important leap forward toward this goal.” 

Identifying depression risks during pregnancy

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 114 women from Spectrum Health’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics. The participants underwent medical exams and provided blood samples during each trimester of their pregnancies and after giving birth.

The researchers identified 15 blood biomarkers that were linked with an increased risk of depression during pregnancy and postpartum; ultimately, the team was more than 80% effective at predicting the likelihood that the women developed depression while pregnant. 

The study suggests that inflammation is the link between these biomarkers and pregnancy-related depression symptoms. The researchers explained that the body’s immune response changes greatly during pregnancy, which is a normal and healthy bodily response. However, it also tends to cause inflammatory markers to spike – especially in the beginning and final months of pregnancy. This inflammation can affect women both mentally and physically. 

Considering the prevalence of mental health concerns during pregnancy and postpartum, the researchers hope these findings are more widely adopted to help identify women who may have the highest risk of developing pregnancy-related depression. 

“Having an objective and easily accessible method associated with depression risk, such as a blood test, provides a unique tool for helping identify women who may develop depression during pregnancy,” said researcher Dr. Eric Achtyes. “Our findings are an exciting development and an important first step towards using these types of methods more widely to help patients. Our next steps include replicating the results in additional patient samples to verify cut-offs for depression risk.”