Antidepressants alone may fail to help an estimated one-third to one-half of depressed patients

See how antidepressants were discovered

The decadeslong journey to the three major types of antidepressants began with medications designed to treat other maladies. Watch to learn more about how attempts to treat tuberculosis and blood pressure disorders led to new insights about neural chemistry and mood.

How depression affects the brain

Treatment for depression has historically hinged on the theory that the condition was caused by underactive or abnormal neurotransmitters, specifically serotonin and norepinephrine. This four-minute video by Yale Medicine details how these neurotransmitters didn't explain the symptoms of depression but, two other neurotransmitters involved in regulating mood and emotion did. GABA and glutamate, some of the brain's most plentiful neurotransmitters, may possibly be the source of depressive symptoms.

Key tips for helping the depressed—including listening without judgment

Major depressive disorder is a clinical diagnosis and is not a lifestyle choice. Those who struggle with depression can express persistent feelings that are difficult to process and make sense of for friends and family. This guide walks through some counterintuitive perspectives, including resisting the urge to force a depressed person to do the things that would make them feel better.

1 in 10 US adults are taking medication for depression

A US government report indicates that about 10% of US adults took prescription medication for this disorder in 2023. Women, at 15.3%, were more than twice as likely to take one of these medications than the 7.4% of men.

Bupropion is the only antidepressant approved for the preventive treatment of SAD

Clinical trials showed a 44% reduction in risk for recurrence of SAD for those who took the drug compared to a placebo group. Bupropion is a norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor, which increases dopamine (other common antidepressants, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, sometimes can suppress dopamine, but not always).

The depression paradox refers to a lack of energy to take action to help alleviate it

Activities like exercise, even at low levels, have been shown to alleviate some of depression's symptoms for some people. However, depression saps energy levels, making it particularly difficult to motivate oneself to take helpful action.

Mixed reality technologies may help treat depression

A study led by a team from Stanford University showed that MR can help people with depression by providing pathways to engage in activities such as digital board games and dancing. Participants saw reduced symptoms of depression that made their overall treatment plans more successful.

Australian psychiatrists already prescribe psilocybin and MDMA for depression and PTSD

The country green lighted the treatments for July 1, 2023, onward, with MDMA—ectasy—as a post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, and psilocybin—magic mushrooms—as an option for people with treatment-resistant depression.

Having five of nine key symptoms constitutes a major depression

Before professional standards were adopted, practitioners used varying criteria to diagnose mental health disorders. By the 1970s, more objective lists were organized, culminating in this list of polythetic criteria—a list of symptoms where no single criterion is required, but a minimum number must be present.

More than 200 drug trials for Alzheimer's have failed or been abandoned since 2010

The complexity of Alzheimer's disease, coupled with decades of underfunded research efforts, has left patients with little in the way of effective treatments. In recent years, scientists have synthesized several drugs that studies show can slow the progression of Alzheimer's—though the disease itself remains incurable.

DBS effectiveness in treating addiction remains uncertain amid inconsistent results

Critics argue that deep brain stimulation should be considered a last resort and not a scalable solution, given its high costs and trials limited to small samples. However, it has helped some patients manage severe opioid use disorder when conventional methods didn’t work.

Some data shows cold showers can help with depression

An icy water exposure can lead to the release of norepinephrine, cortisol, dopamine, and other stress hormones that are beneficial, among other potential effects. Some data shows that this type of exposure can help combat depression symptoms among some patients, but more research is still needed. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Yoga is believed to improve mental health, but studies are not definitive

Many think that yoga's combination of stretching, focused breathing, and contemplation help treat depression and anxiety, but the data has often relied on small, homogenous sample sizes.

Bipolar disorder, which is characterized by extreme mood swings, affects nearly 3% of the US population

There are two types of this disorder. Bipolar 1 features a significant manic episode—abnormally elevated mood and frantic energy—followed by repeated depression, while Bipolar 2 vacillates between depressive episodes and hypomania, a milder form of mania, but not a full mania. Listen to this podcast as experts explain the condition.

Certain medications can make tinnitus worse

Certain antidepressants, antimalarial medications, antibiotics, ibuprofen, and cancer drugs have been linked with the condition. At higher doses, particularly, it seems they can trigger or worsen tinnitus in some individuals.

Who provides therapy is more important than what method they practice

What makes therapy work well is the connection that patients feel with their therapist, and the trust in that relationship. Some research suggests that while the therapeutic model—say cognitive behavior therapy or psychodynamic therapy—accounts for roughly 15% of outcomes, the therapeutic relationship with the therapist accounts for more than 30%.

Up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is considered safe

Small, frequent doses can be more effective than large amounts, though caffeine can raise blood pressure and heart rate, especially in people with hypertension. While low doses of caffeine may help with depression by stimulating dopamine, excessive caffeine, particularly from energy drinks, can lead to anxiety and heart issues.

How to properly use semaglutides

This podcast with a nutritionist and a medical doctor discusses how useful semaglutide can be for weight loss. It also outlines the need for patients to set reasonable expectations and to make changes to both diet and exercise as part of an overall weight management strategy. The experts note that failure to make meaningful changes outside of using semaglutide may mean patients need to stay on the drug in order to keep the weight off.

Common hormone therapies to treat menopausal symptoms

While there is no cure for menopause, there are ways to treat some of the intense symptoms women experience during perimenopause. There are two main hormone therapies used, one in the form of a pill, gel, or patch to treat symptoms like hot flashes, and another in the form of a cream or ring to treat symptoms like vaginal dryness. Read this article to learn more about the different hormone therapies available for menopausal women.

Support groups can offer insights into current and potential treatments

Beyond connecting with patients with similar experiences, support groups can also become centers for advocacy and for sharing research advances and medical experiences, including potential side effects from novel therapies or clinical trials.

The lack of diversity in clinical trials is undermining the future of precision medicine

Medicine works better when the treatments are tailored to fit each individual person’s biology and history. Homogeneous patient selection in clinical trials means treatments and care are being refined based on only a small range of variables, some of which may not apply to you. This 40-minute podcast episode discusses the historical and current reasons for the lack of clinical trial diversity and what this means for the future of personalized medicine.

3-parent baby approach may help women with infertility

Though the topline promise of this approach is avoiding passing on mitochondrial diseases, some researchers and companies have been eyeing its potential for helping with female infertility, since faculty mitochondria may contribute to the condition. Recent research suggests this approach could be promising.

Unlike milder fears, phobias may get in the way of proceeding with your life

Clinicians may recommend exposure therapy—exposing oneself to the thing triggering fears in some doses—as one way to help overcome a fear.

American Psychological Association issues recommendations for teen social media use

Listen to this three-minute podcast to learn more about the American Psychological Association's recommendations for teenagers' use of social media. The first report of its kind, it advises parents to closely monitor teens' social feeds during early adolescence, continually screen for signs of problematic use (such as sleep interference), minimize the amount of dangerous content their child is exposed to (such as disordered eating), and limit their teen's use of social media around appearance-related content.

Supplements are only typically recommended for those with a proven deficiency

Blood tests and other dietary screening tools by clinicians and nutritionists can indicate whether someone is deficient in needed vitamins or minerals, and those results can then lead to a personalized care plan that may include supplements. Supplements can negatively interact with certain medications, so it's important to speak with your doctor about supplements before taking them.

Doctors differentiate between a phobia and fear by asking patients whether their fear interferes with their day-to-day activities.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

Three Ebola species are responsible for most large outbreaks of the disease, yet the only approved Ebola vaccine is known to work against just one of them.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

Some renewable energy sources may weaken the resiliency of electric grids by removing outage buffers provided by coal- and natural gas-fired plants, which provide the system with more time to find a new power source if a plant goes down.

Listen to an in-depth conversation on the links between Parkinson's disease and herbicide exposure and the challenging pace of scientific investigation.

The Beatles' US label rejected the band's first two singles, 'Please Please Me' and 'From Me to You,' with one executive calling the band 'dead in the water.'

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

Explore an interactive map built from more than 100,000 survey responses on where people find joy in their lives

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

While atoms are normally made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, exotic ones have been built with antimatter—alternate versions of normal matter that live for fractions of a second and are about a billion times as rare.

The United States is one of only around two dozen countries with a fully federal system of government, in which power is divided between national and state governments.

While the first exchange-traded fund (a 'basket' of different assets that can be bought and sold on a stock exchange) in the US only launched in 1993, the global ETF market has grown to more than $10T in the short time since.

The Nasdaq's 'Magnificent 7' companies are responsible for roughly 40% of the Nasdaq 100 index's gains, while the remaining 93 companies account for the other 60%.

US intelligence allegedly pursued more than 600 schemes to assassinate Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro.

Objects can be 3D printed with light by projecting 2D computerized tomography (CT) scans onto rotating cylinders of resin, which solidify upon exposure.

Coral reefs get their colors from zooxanthellae—microorganisms that line corals' digestive tracts and provide them with sugars in exchange for a home within this protective tissue.

'Silent' fireworks have gained more interest in recent years as a quieter celebratory option.

Georgia O'Keeffe's flower paintings are often assumed to be sexual, though the artist claimed she was simply interested in highlighting the beauty of flowers that most people neglect

Domino's Pizza's 30-minute delivery guarantee was responsible for the chain's 1980s surge, but it was discontinued after the company was found liable for delivery driver accidents.