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.
8 papers
This umbrella review looked at the best existing reviews and large studies to see if depression is linked to low serotonin or low serotonin activity. Across measures of serotonin in fluids, receptor and transporter studies, tryptophan depletion experiments, and large genetic studies, the evidence was mixed or absent. The authors…
The CANMAT 2023 update gives doctors clear, up-to-date advice for treating adults with major depressive disorder. It puts evidence into a practical, clinician-friendly format. The update says treatment should be a team effort between patients and clinicians, be tailored to each person, and follow a planned, systematic process with regular…
This systematic review looked at 83 published reports on ketamine for mental health and substance use disorders. It found strong evidence that ketamine can produce rapid antidepressant and anti‑suicidal effects, but these benefits tend to be short‑lived. Evidence for other conditions was weaker but often showed similar short-term effects. Many…
This meta-analysis combined 20 randomized clinical trials up to February 22, 2019, and found that a single dose of ketamine produced rapid antidepressant effects that were strongest at 24 hours and that these effects were still detectable up to 7 days. The analysis also found that repeated ketamine doses helped…
This systematic review looked at 17 studies with a total of 603 participants on ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP). The reviewed reports say KAP can, in some cases, start and lengthen meaningful reductions in pain, anxiety, and depression, and help with rapport, treatment engagement, and abstinence for people with substance problems. However,…
This review combined 65 randomized trials with 5,048 adults who had generalized anxiety disorder. The authors found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was linked with better short-term and long-term outcomes than treatment as usual. Third‑wave CBTs and relaxation therapy were linked with short-term benefits, but after removing studies judged to…
This study recorded brain activity (EEG) while 68 females aged 13–23 (35 with borderline personality disorder, 33 healthy) did a guessing task with equal wins and losses. People with BPD showed less difference in their brain responses to wins versus losses than healthy peers. Time-frequency tests suggested this smaller difference…
This systematic review looked at 16 studies of ketamine used to treat adults with depression, covering 2,174 patients. The authors found few clear cases of tolerance or dependence (four patients) and conclude that, overall, ketamine appears relatively safe for depression when given under medical supervision, with careful monitoring and dosing.…
