Is atypical depression a clinically and genetically distinct subtype?

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A large Australian study suggests that atypical depression is genetically, metabolically and clinically distinct, with poorer response to SSRIs and SNRIs.

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Psilocybin-assisted therapy for difficult-to-treat depression: underwhelming, but still vital?

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The EPISODE trial of psychedelic-assisted therapy for ‘treatment-resistant depression’ finds only modest effects, with a few clear responders, but lingering methodological questions.

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Trauma-focused therapy for psychosis: helpful for delusions, less so for hallucinations

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A new meta-analysis from Toutountzidis and colleagues finds trauma-focused therapies meaningfully reduce delusions in psychosis, but offer limited benefit for hallucinations. Younger people gain most.

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Lifestyle interventions for severe mental illness: time to deliver

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We have the evidence that lifestyle interventions work. Now what? The third Lancet Psychiatry Commission focuses on the messy business of implementation.

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Targeting inflammation in depression: a proof-of-concept worth following

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A single dose of tocilizumab cleared inflammation in depressed patients, but did it ease their symptoms? A proof-of-concept RCT with cautious promise.

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Mental health awareness: what we have gained, and what we did not expect

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Mental health awareness campaigns have reduced stigma and encouraged help-seeking, but a new review asks whether they also have unintended psychological costs such as inflating distress, driving self-diagnosis, and overwhelming services.

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Brain scans, depression, and AI: small signals, big questions

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A new study uses AI on brain scans to predict depression. The findings are modest, but the implications go beyond the hospital.

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Can stronger social connections really help reduce depression?

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A new umbrella review shows in-person social engagement reduces depression, especially for older adults and people most at risk of isolation.

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When systems fail children: what coroners’ reports reveal about preventable factors in adolescent suicide

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Coroners have been raising concerns about child suicides for years. The first analysis to synthesise these reports reveals how governance failures, communication breakdowns, and a lack of autism-specific support have repeatedly contributed to preventable deaths.

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Should we treat trauma in personality disorder even without a PTSD diagnosis?

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Up to 80% of people with personality disorder report neglect or abuse. So why aren’t we offering them trauma-focused therapy? A new trial has some answers.

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