Posts by Former NIMH Director Thomas Insel about Depression

Researchers were able to reverse some of the behavioral effects of stress in mice by stimulating brain cells activated by pleasure. Dr. Insel describes the work and its implications for understanding depression.

Dr. Insel discusses how the Precision Medicine Initiative will create a new kind of patient-driven research, which is similar to how innovative companies have created a new share economy based on trust.

Dr. Insel lauds University of Washington psychiatrist and researchers Wayne Katon and the collaborative care approach for depression he helped develop.

We tend to assume that the secrets to understanding individual differences in resilience to stress must be sought in the brain. Now, findings in mice suggest that the peripheral immune system might play a pivotal role.

An early sign of depression risk may provide not only a biomarker for depression but a clue to the relationship between depression and risk for medical illnesses; Dr. Insel blogs.

Ongoing research is investigating the long-term efficacy and safety of the anesthetic drug ketamine, which studies have shown can rapidly lift depressive symptoms; Dr. Insel talks about the status of ketamine in his blog.

Dr. Insel explains the nuances of the term, “serious mental illness.”

Numerous provocative advances in neuroscience were reported during the summer of 2012.

Dr. Insel discusses the complicated nature of research on the efficacy antidepressants.

Rapid progress in understanding how memory works – from the molecular to the behavioral level – holds promise for improved treatment of memory components of mental disorders.

10 breakthroughs and events of 2010 which are changing the way we approach mental disorders.

Dr. Insel summarizes NIMH’s research efforts to better understand and treat postpartum depression.

Despite promising advances as a research tool, brain imaging is not quite ripe for clinical application in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.