A huge rise in the number of people taking antidepressant drugs is potentially posing a threat to the environment, according to new research. An expert in the effects of human waste on marine life and an expert in ethical pharmacology, both at the University of Portsmouth, are calling for prescribers to be taught what happens when drugs in human waste enter the environment.

According to a new study, psilocybin found in “magic” mushrooms, could be useful in treating anxiety and depression.

The heartbroken mum of a teenager who took his own life after being accused of rape before the report was withdrawn has been found hanged in her family home. The family of grief-stricken Karin Cheshire, 55, said she 'could not see a future' without son Jay Cheshire, 17, who took his own life after allegations of rape were made against him. The complaint was withdrawn after two weeks but were said to have deeply affected Jay.

Although depression is one of the leading psychiatric disorders in Germany, its cause remains unclear. A recent study at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI CBS) in Leipzig, Germany, and the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the University Clinic in Leipzig found that those affected by depressive disorder have a larger hypothalamus compared to their healthy counterparts.

Monash University research raises the prospect of a link between antidepressants and light sensitivity.

Stop remaining in your harmonies bubble world. Create Chaos. Only then can you build something greater in your life.

To fight a rising tide of depression and suicide, psychiatrists need to do more than just fill patients up with pills writes James S Gordon, a psychiatrist

Eating junk food increases the risk of becoming depressed, a study has found, prompting calls for doctors to routinely give dietary advice to patients as part of their treatment for depression. In contrast, those who follow a traditional Mediterranean diet are much less likely to develop depression because the fish, fruit, nuts and vegetables that diet involves help protect against Britain’s commonest mental health problem, the research suggests.

In this extract from his new book, Johann Hari, who took antidepressants for 14 years, calls for a new approach

Understanding the biology may help us develop more targeted therapies.

Experts are now looking to the social and environmental causes of the disorder affecting millions.

It's been called "the most important discovery in half a century," and for some of the people who have tried ketamine, it may feel that way too. The compound has a reputation as a party drug, but ketamine is increasingly being studied for its potential use as a rapid-fire treatment for depression. In people who live with the disease, thoughts of suicide can strike suddenly and without warning. Fast-acting, successful interventions are hard to come by.

Using sleep deprivation to combat severe depression may seem odd, but for some it’s the only thing that works.

Several studies show that healthy eating is connected with better mood.

Long-term use of the medications is surging in the United States, according to an analysis by The Times. One reason: withdrawal symptoms that make it difficult to stop.

Long-term use of the medications is surging in the United States, according to an analysis by The Times. One reason: withdrawal symptoms that make it difficult to stop.

It completely changed my relationship with fear, which had become a very regular part of my daily life through the depressed period.

A study treating depressed patients with the drug via a nasal spray saw "significant improvements".

Depression affects approximately 322 million people worldwide, making it the largest contributor to global disability. However, the fact that depression is an actual illness rather than a mood is only beginning to gain traction. Advances in the genetic basis of depression is helping that happen: In 2015 scientists discovered the first two genetic markers linked to the development of major depressive disorder, and on Monday, researchers reported in a new study that the genetic link is even more profound.

New genetic risk factors associated with major depression have been identified in the biggest study of its kind, providing new insights for prevention and treatment. Professor Naomi Wray, from UQ’s Institute of Molecular Bioscience and QBI, helped lead the international study, which identified 44 genetic variants associated with major depression – 30 of which were previously unknown.

Our lives are a constant struggle where we try to avoid bad emotions. We try to avoid it as much as possible. However, what do you do when you fall into it and can’t get out? How do you get out of it? Why did you even get into it? And how do you stay out of it? Depression …

It is a good question, but I was a little surprised to see it as the title of a research paper in a medical journal: “How Happy Is Too Happy?”

I’m about to go speak to NAMI Ohio’s statewide conference, Fulfilling the Promise. These are the remarks I prepared for my speech.

Exercise reduces future depression risk, no matter age or where you live, research finds. The study of 266,939 people living all around the world found that physical activity reduced depression risk. Current guidelines suggest around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

Preliminary research suggests that psilocybin-based treatment can improve emotional processing in depressed patients. The new findings are reported in the scientific journal Psychopharmacology. Psilocybin is the primary mind-altering substance in psychedelic “magic” mushrooms. The drug can profoundly alter the way a person experiences the world by producing changes in mood, sensory perception, time perception, and sense of self.

Disruption to the body clock increases the risk of mood disorders and depression, a large study has confirmed. Scientists at the University of Glasgow looked at the circadian rhythms - which control functions including sleep patterns, body temperature, our immune systems and the release of hormones - of more than 90,000 people to measure daily rest-activity rhythms, called relative amplitude.

Dating apps are a booming business, but they may be taking a toll on their users' mental health.

Psychedelics could be 'next generation' of safer treatments for mental health

“Leon” is a young Brazilian man who has long struggled with depression. He keeps an anonymous blog, in Portuguese, where he describes the challenge of living with a mental illness that affects some 300 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Leon is among the roughly 30 percent of those patients with treatment-resistant depression. Available antidepressant drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors do not alleviate his depressed mood, fatigue, anxiety, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.

Growing evidence suggests that hallucinogenic drugs can help quell depression. Following the government’s review of medicinal cannabis last month, Jack Dutton asks whether we are at a turning point in drug policy

How the veterinary anesthetic and recreational drug saved me from suicidal thoughts.

Savvy Psychologist Dr. Ellen Hendriksen goes straight for the gut with three surprising mind-gut connections.

Some people have a legitimate reason to feel depressed, but not me. I just woke up one day feeling sad and helpless for absolutely no reason.

On Monday, August 11, 2014, the world lost a great man. Robin Williams was found unresponsive in his home and it was suspected to be a suicide via asphyxiation.

You own a home, have a family, and are generally happy but have been feeling “off” lately. You work hard, you are feeling more tired than usual, and don’t know why. One day, you return from work and sit down to watch some television to unwind from your hard day. Your family hasn’t come home yet so you head to the kitchen to fix yourself a PB & J sandwich to tie yourself over until supper.