Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
Research shows several different ways can help with sadness or low mood. Right now, the strongest clinical evidence for a fast-acting drug comes from ketamine and its approved form esketamine. At the same time, a wave of studies on classic psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, DMT) and entactogens (MDMA) looks promising, especially when the drug is given together with careful psychological support. However, most psychedelic studies are still small or early-stage. They often rely on the setting, preparation, and therapy as part of the treatment, so researchers say we need larger, controlled trials and more long-term safety data. Also, non-drug options like brain stimulation and standard psychotherapies remain important parts of treatment plans and have mixed but useful evidence.
Researchers are studying whether brain scans taken before treatment can help pick the best treatment for people with major depression. They found that activity in one brain area (the fronto-insular cortex) at rest might tell who will do better with talk therapy versus medication, while high activity in another area…
