Reduced-nicotine cigarettes result in less smoking in anxious, depressed smokers
Nov 4, 2022
Lowering the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels may reduce smoking without worsening mental health in smokers with mood or anxiety disorders, according to Penn State College of Medicine and Harvard Medical School researchers. They said reducing nicotine content in cigarettes…
Depression in fathers and children linked, regardless of genetic relatedness
Jun 27, 2022
Adolescent depression and behavior problems are on the rise due to many factors, but parental depression is contributing to the increase in their children regardless of whether they are genetically related, say researchers from Penn State and Michigan State. The work appears in the Cambridge…
Losing a grandmother may trigger rise in depression for some of her survivors
Jun 17, 2022
Losing a beloved family member is never easy, but a new study suggests the loss of a grandmother in particular may have repercussions for the loved ones she leaves behind. The researchers found that for up to seven years after the death of their grandmother, adolescent boys had a 50% increase in…
School-based screening increases identification of, treatment for depression
Nov 17, 2021
Students who participated in universal school-based depression screening were twice as likely to begin treatment compared to their peers who did not receive this screening, according to a new study by Penn State College of Medicine researchers. Dr. Deepa Sekhar, associate professor of pediatrics,…News Topics: EducationDepression
Learning about health from trusted sources may help teens battle depression
Mar 4, 2021
Depression can be a common problem for teens and adolescents, and while many treatments exist, they don’t always work for everyone. A new study found that feeling more informed about their health may help teens take better care of themselves, leading to less depressive symptoms. The researchers…
Parental stress biology and mental health symptoms affect young children
Dec 8, 2020
Parental depression and anxiety can have profound effects on children. For the first time, Penn State researchers demonstrated that stress biology relates to depressive and anxiety symptoms differently for mothers versus fathers, and that parents’ profiles of stress biology and symptoms can predict…
Everyday stress may boost blood vessel dysfunction in people with depression
May 8, 2019
Long-term stress has been linked with cardiovascular disease, but for people with depression, researchers say small, everyday stressors may be enough to diminish blood vessel function in otherwise healthy adults. A team of researchers led by Penn State found that among adults with depression, those…
Depression screening rates remain low among adolescents
Feb 27, 2019
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is increasing among U.S. adolescents, while screening rates for depression remain low and insufficient in addressing the rising mental health crisis, according to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. A research team lead by Deepa Sekhar, associate…
LGB and other sexual minorities face significant health disparities
Jan 29, 2019
Sexual minorities — people who are attracted to members of the same sex or who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual — are at a higher risk for several different health problems at different points in their lives, according to Penn State researchers. The researchers found that sexual minorities were…
Negative mood signals body's immune response
Jan 2, 2019
Negative mood — such as sadness and anger — is associated with higher levels of inflammation and may be a signal of poor health, according to researchers at Penn State. The investigators found that negative mood measured multiple times a day over time is associated with higher levels of…
Depression screening project benefits from Community Engagement Studios
Nov 29, 2018
Penn State College of Medicine’s Dr. Deepa Sekhar will partner with six urban Pennsylvania public high schools and involve more than 9,000 students in research to address the rise of depression and suicide in children. Sekhar’s team is studying use of a school-based screening for clinical…
Brain's immune system to be topic of Biobehavioral Health Founders Day event
Apr 9, 2018
Andrew Miller, William P. Timmie Professor and Vice Chair for Research in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine, will present the keynote lecture “Immune System Targets in the Brain in Depression: Impact on Neurotransmitters and Neurocircuits” at 3:30 p.m. April…
Stigma increases risk of depression for people with Multiple Sclerosis
Feb 5, 2018
People with Multiple Sclerosis — MS — who feel stigmatized are more likely to suffer from depression, according to researchers, who add that having a support system of friends and family and a sense of autonomy may help reduce the harmful effects of stigma. As part of an ongoing research project,…News Topics: DepressionChronic Illness