Major Depressive Disorder

TRD often mislabels depression; learn why MDD heterogeneity demands tailored treatments and when “difficult-to-treat” fits better.

First US TRD Awareness Day spotlights treatment-resistant depression, urging earlier recognition, stigma-breaking support, and renewed hope for patients and caregivers.

Rethink “treatment-resistant depression” by adopting difficult-to-treat depression, verifying adequate trials, and stratifying drivers like trauma and inflammation to improve outcomes.

Vortioxetine eases depression in older adults, while cognitive gains stay mixed—showing selective boosts in attention and processing speed, not consistent global improvement.

Phase 3 psilocybin and LSD data plus new FDA guidance fuel a depression boom—yet clinics still wrestle with dosing time, cost, access.

Ketamine, esketamine, and ECT can rapidly ease suicidal thoughts, but evidence for preventing attempts or deaths remains limited—see what’s proven.

Helus Pharma advances oral deuterated psilocin HLP003 for MDD, detailing new efficacy and safety analyses plus ongoing phase 3 PARADIGM trial updates.

New real-world studies show Vraylar boosts depression relief, functioning, and quality of life in MDD and bipolar I patients beyond clinical trials.

How tuning body signals with closed-loop sound and chill tech may ease dissociation and anhedonia, offering drug-free add-ons to therapy.

Phase 2 MOONLIGHT-1 shows JNJ-5120/PIPE-307 misses day‑5 MADRS improvement in MDD, yet remains well tolerated as J&J reviews next steps.

Experts dissect 10 common antidepressant myths, separating evidence from fear on efficacy, addiction, suicide risk, withdrawal, and safe tapering.

Health Canada has authorized a 200-participant phase 2 trial testing a single psilocybin dose for major depressive disorder, with dosing set to begin in 2027.

Phase 1 driving simulation finds bedtime GlyphAllo for major depressive disorder shows no next-morning driving impairment, while advancing allopregnanolone-based oral treatment development.

Pramipexole was associated with improvement in anhedonia and apathy, and with increased physical activity in patients with mood disorders, in a placebo-controlled trial that measured both behavioral and neurophysiologic change.

Discuss depression care challenges, comorbidities, and new treatments—submit cases, research, or CME ideas for Psychiatric Times’ September 2026 series.

Much of what we call "treatment-resistant" depression may be mismatched, not resistant. A psychiatrist makes the case for trading the failed-drug tally for a difficult-to-treat framework clinicians can act on Monday morning.

Nardin Valetin, DO, explains how to spot hormonally driven mood symptoms in perimenopause and when HRT can support psychiatric treatment.

Explore why combining medication and psychotherapy often improves major depression outcomes, plus the latest debates on treatment sequencing and public trust in psychiatry.

HLP003, a deuterated psilocin agonist, enters phase 3 as an add-on for MDD, aiming to boost SSRI/SNRI response earlier.

Remote, home-based tDCS shows modest symptom relief and higher remission in major depression, with generally good safety but burn risks to watch.

From tricyclics to esketamine, Ron Pies, MD, explains antidepressant progress and why precise diagnosis matters when treating today’s diverse depression.

Experts weigh MDMA-like entactogens for social anxiety and depression, neuroplasticity windows, and what FDA setbacks mean for next-wave treatments.

Michael Thase, MD, explores evolving treatment strategies for treatment-resistant depression, including interventional psychiatry and emerging therapies.

Learn how clinicians tailor simple, measurable activity plans that boost depression and anxiety treatment—and improve long‑term adherence.

Learn how early antidepressant response guides faster treatment changes in major depression, with earlier use of esketamine, TMS, and ECT despite insurance barriers.