Depression

Voting Is Good for Your Health, Study Finds

Voting isn't just good for the country. A new study reveals that adolescents and young adults who are civically involved also tend to have better health. In the new study, published Tuesday in the journal...

By Alexandra Sifferlin January 23, 2018

Here's What Your Recurring Nightmares Actually Mean

Everyone has a bad dream once in a while. But having the same one over and over may signal that something specific is missing in your daily life, new research suggests. Men and women in...

By Amanda MacMillan December 15, 2017

Scientists Can Tell if Babies Will Be Left-Handed Before They're Even Born

The discovery might help predict depression, schizophrenia and autism

By Billy Perrigo December 5, 2017

Hormonal Birth Control Is Linked to a Higher Risk of Suicide, Study Says

Contraceptives are effective ways to prevent pregnancy, alleviate menstrual pain and ease heavy bleeding, but the hormonal changes needed to accomplish that may have some negative psychological side effects. In a study published in the...

By Alice Park November 21, 2017

Why More Veterans are Running for Political Office

These are today's best ideas

By The Aspen Institute November 10, 2017

Elderly Americans Are Losing Their Rights

These are today's five best

By The Aspen Institute October 5, 2017

Video: Just One Hour of Exercise a Week May Help Prevent Depression

Regular exercise may prevent many cases of future depression, according to a new Australian study, and researchers say that as little as one hour a week can make a real difference. The paper, published in...

By Amanda MacMillan October 3, 2017

Sleep Deprivation Can Rapidly Reduce Depression

These are today's best ideas

By The Aspen Institute September 20, 2017

People With Sick Pets Have More Anxiety and Depression

The stress may affect veterinarians too

By Abigail Abrams September 18, 2017

How Marriage May Literally Break Your Heart...or Keep it Healthy

Fighting with a partner is as bad for the heart as being overweight, say doctors.

By Belinda Luscombe September 8, 2017

Why Teenage Brains Are So Hard to Understand

It's not just you. Researchers are finding that teenage brains really are special

By Alexandra Sifferlin September 8, 2017

This Is the Meanest Reason to Break Up With Someone

Rejection hurts. But it stings even more when you're turned down for another person: dumped because your partner found someone better, for example, or passed over for a great job because of a more qualified...

By Amanda MacMillan September 7, 2017

13% of Americans Take Antidepressants

Antidepressants are some of the most popular drugs in the United States, and their usage shows no signs of waning. A new report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that from 2011 through...

By Alexandra Sifferlin August 15, 2017

Football Brain Injuries and a New Hope for Depression: This Week in Health

A new analysis of the brains of deceased NFL players found something unsettling: 110 out of 111 of them had a serious brain disease caused by repetitive blows to the head. In more hopeful news,...

By Alexandra Sifferlin July 27, 2017

New Hope for Depression

Depression afflicts 16 million Americans. One third don’t get better with treatment. A surprising new drug may change that

July 27, 2017

Degenerative Brain Disease Found In 87% of Former Football Players: Study

The link between football and traumatic brain injury continues to strengthen. Now, one of the largest studies on the subject to date finds that 110 out of 111 deceased NFL players had chronic traumatic encephalopathy...

By Alexandra Sifferlin July 25, 2017

This Week in Health: Summer Colds, Health Care and Yoga for Pain

It's officially summer, but the warm weather doesn't necessarily mean you're in for three months of good health. This week's health news revealed why getting a summer bug can feel even more awful than a...

By Alexandra Sifferlin June 22, 2017

Why Having Lots of Feelings Is Good For Your Health

Happiness isn't the only emotion that can help you stay healthy as you age. How excited, amused, proud, strong and cheerful you feel on a regular basis matters, too. In a new study, people who...

June 22, 2017

There's More Proof That Ketamine Works for Depression

Scientists may have found how ketamine triggers rapid antidepressant effects

By Mandy Oaklander June 21, 2017

Teens Are Getting More Depressed But Using Fewer Drugs

The latest report compiles information on substance use, as well as treatment, reported in 2015 from two large national surveys.

By Lon Tweeten and Alice Park June 12, 2017

Why Friends May Be More Important Than Family

Friends become increasingly important to health and happiness as people age, according to new research in the journal Personal Relationships. They're so crucial, in fact, that having supportive friendships in old age was found to...

June 7, 2017

The New Way To Prevent Anxiety in Kids

About 40 million American adults have an anxiety disorder each year. Rates are rising among young people and the use of anti-anxiety drugs is soaring. What can be done to reverse this mental health crisis?...

By Andrea Petersen June 6, 2017

Here's How to Get Over a Breakup

Moving on from an ex can be tough, especially if you were the one let go. But according to a new study in the Journal of Neuroscience, the secret to feeling better is simple: Just...

By Amanda MacMillan April 26, 2017

Taking Antidepressants During Pregnancy May Not Pose a High Risk for Autism

According to new reports

By Alice Park April 18, 2017

Does Taking Antidepressants During Pregnancy Cause Autism?

Pregnant women who have depression face a difficult decision when it comes to using antidepressants to treat their symptoms. On one hand, treating depression is critical for the mother’s wellbeing, and that translates to the...

By Alice Park April 18, 2017

No One Knows What To Do With the International Space Station

These are today's best ideas

By The Aspen Institute March 28, 2017

This Week in Health: Go Swimming and Clean Your Humidifier

This week we learned that swimming is one of the best forms of exercise, since it's easy on the joints and recruits more major muscle groups than other types of cardio. Here’s what else grabbed...

By Alexandra Sifferlin March 3, 2017

The Dangers of Using the Club Drug Ketamine for Depression

After trying antidepressants, psychotherapy and other treatments like electroconvulsive therapy, people with tough-to-treat depression are often out of options. In recent years, however, there’s been fresh hope in an unexpected place: the club drug ketamine....

By Mandy Oaklander March 2, 2017

Why It’s Healthy to Cry Over TV Shows

Good news for fans of "This Is Us."

By Amanda MacMillan February 23, 2017

Why Mental Illness Can Fuel Physical Disease

Scientists say inflammation is the common thread.

By Amanda MacMillan February 23, 2017

How Camping Helps You Sleep Better

Spending time in nature can work wonders for human health, from lowering blood pressure and stress hormones to sparking feelings of awe. Growing research suggests it may also improve sleep by resetting our internal clocks...

By Alexandra Sifferlin February 2, 2017

It's Important to Bridge The Urban-Rural Divide

These are today's best ideas

By The Aspen Institute January 30, 2017

How Wisdom Teeth Are Fueling the Opioid Epidemic

These are today's best ideas

By The Aspen Institute January 18, 2017

How Exercise Can Help Depression in Kids

Physical activity improves young children's mental health

By Alice Park January 9, 2017

11 Uses for Botox Beyond Freezing Your Wrinkles

It's way more than just a cosmetic procedure

By Alexandra Sifferlin January 5, 2017

11 Surprising Uses For Botox

These alternative approaches have turned Botox into a blockbuster

By Alexandra Sifferlin January 5, 2017

Depression May Make Chemotherapy Less Effective

Mood may play a critical role in determining how effective some anti-tumor therapies are

By Alice Park December 17, 2016

Abortion Doesn't Negatively Affect Women's Mental Health

According to the largest study of its kind

By Alexandra Sifferlin December 15, 2016

A Lot of Pilots Have Depression Symptoms

An anonymous survey shows many commercial airline pilots deal with depression symptoms

By Alexandra Sifferlin December 15, 2016

Abortion Doesn't Negatively Affect Women's Mental Health

It's the largest and most comprehensive study on the matter

By Alexandra Sifferlin December 14, 2016

Staying Awake Could Combat Depression

These are today's best ideas

By The Aspen Institute December 9, 2016

27% of Medical Students Are Depressed

The mental health of doctors suffers years before they get an MD

By Mandy Oaklander December 6, 2016

What You Need to Know About Magic Mushrooms and Depression

The psychedelic drug may hold potential for a new treatment

By Alexandra Sifferlin December 1, 2016

I Took A Psychedelic Drug for My Cancer Anxiety. It Changed My Life

One woman describes her powerful experience in a clinical trial of the drug psilocybin

By Dinah Bazer December 1, 2016

Just One Dose of This Psychedelic Drug Can Ease Anxiety

Two new trials show the powerful effects of magic mushrooms on cancer-related anxiety and depression

By Alexandra Sifferlin December 1, 2016

Experts Criticize Marianne Williamson's Views on Vaccines, Depression and Illness

Michael Phelps Opens Up About Retirement and Mental Health Awareness: 'I Struggle Through Problems Just Like Everybody Else'

A Genetic Test Could Help Predict the Right Antidepressant For You

There May Be Five Types of Diabetes