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Journal of Affective Disorders

ISSN 1573-2517, 0165-0327

260 papers in the library · 3,711 citations · publishing 2008-2026

Papers

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MBCT improves working memory and sustained attention in generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial.

Journal of Affective Disorders November 4, 2026 Yani Yang, Lei Sun, Peiqin Li et al.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a promising intervention for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Although GAD is associated with cognitive impairments, it remains unclear whether MBCT benefits cognitive functioning in clinical practice. This study examined outcomes of MBCT among adults with GAD in a routine clinical setting. In this assessor blinded randomized trial, 140 adults...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122692 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Generalized anxiety disorder Inhibitory control Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Sustained attention +1

Effects of psilocybin with psychological support on anhedonia in treatment-resistant depression: A randomized controlled pilot trial.

Journal of Affective Disorders October 30, 2026 Andrew M Novick, Tiffany M Love, Rachel L Johnson et al.

Anhedonia is a core feature of major depressive disorder (MDD) that is frequently resistant to available treatments. Psilocybin's specific efficacy for anhedonia remains unclear. To evaluate psilocybin's efficacy for anhedonia in treatment-resistant MDD. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 20 participants with treatment-resistant MDD received psilocybin (25 mg or 1 mg)...

Low-dose ketamine modulates brain entropy in treatment-resistant depression: Results from two neuroimaging clinical trials.

Journal of Affective Disorders October 26, 2026 Ying-Jay Liou, Li-Kai Cheng, Wei-Chen Lin et al.

Several studies have reported entropy reductions in regions of the brain associated with affective-regulatory and reward- and motivation-related processes in patients with major depressive disorder. However, whether low-dose ketamine modulates this reduction remains unclear. We analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from two single-infusion low-dose ketamine trials....

Suicidality during intranasal (es)ketamine treatment: A retrospective cohort study.

Journal of Affective Disorders October 21, 2026 Yamina Ehrt-Schäfer, Georgios Schoretsanitis, Erich Seifritz et al.

Intranasal (es)ketamine has shown efficacy in therapy of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, its effects on suicidality have not been fully elucidated. We conducted a retrospective longitudinal cohort study of 80 patients affected by TRD, treated with intranasal (es)ketamine. Suicidality was assessed using item 10 of the clinician-rated Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale...

The effects of an online mindfulness-based intervention for parents of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Journal of Affective Disorders October 20, 2026 Zoe Jiwen Zhang, Herman Hay Ming Lo, Rebecca Y. M. Cheung et al.

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been identified as a complementary treatment for children with ADHD. While there is a growing interest in developing MBIs in online formats, its application in parents is largely based on healthy populations. A two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) was designed to investigate the effectiveness of an online MBI (arm 1) compared with an online...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122646 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Parents Randomized controlled trial Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder Online +1

Augmentation strategies for intravenous ketamine in treatment-resistant depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Journal of Affective Disorders October 12, 2026 Reinhard Janssen-Aguilar, Jithin Joseph, Huda Al-Shamali et al.

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) affects 30-60% of individuals with major depressive disorder and carries substantial morbidity and healthcare costs. Intravenous (IV) ketamine (KET) is a rapid-acting antidepressant, but benefits are often transient, prompting augmentation to sustain efficacy or improve tolerability. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled...

Effects of transcendental meditation on mental health and work productivity among university staff in Australia: A randomised controlled trial.

Journal of Affective Disorders September 23, 2026 Mahesh Kumar Khanal, Leila Karimi, Peter Saunders et al.

Chronic psychological stress is a major public health problem with adverse effects on mental health, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and work functioning. Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a standardised meditation that may reduce stress and enhance wellbeing, yet long-term evidence in workplace settings is limited. This study evaluated the effect of TM on perceived stress and related...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122555 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Distress Emotion regulation Transcendental meditation Work impairment

Feasibility and tolerability of virtual reality during esketamine treatment: A pilot study.

Journal of Affective Disorders September 23, 2026 Erin Curran, Kristina T. Kumpf, Mina Ansari et al.

Ketamine/esketamine produce rapid antidepressant effects, with growing interest in how acute subjective experiences and the surrounding set and setting shape clinical outcomes. Little is known about how audiovisual adjustments during ketamine/esketamine treatment influence comfort, tolerability, or patient experience, despite their common use in clinical practice. Virtual reality (VR) is one...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122554 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Esketamine Set and setting Treatment resistant depression Virtual reality

Clinical correlates of anhedonia non-response to ketamine in treatment-resistant depression.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 15, 2026 Michał Walaszek, Wiesław Jerzy Cubała, Zofia Kachlik et al.

Anhedonia, a core symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD), is associated with illness severity, suicide risk, poor functioning, and predicts poor response to antidepressants. While no treatments are approved, ketamine and esketamine show promise in reducing anhedonia. This study examines clinical and sociodemographic features linked to anhedonia treatment response in treatment-resistant...

Exploratory non-randomized clinical trial of subcutaneous esketamine in treatment-resistant depression: Effects of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy

Journal of Affective Disorders August 10, 2026 Yves Martins Varela, Patrícia Cavalcanti-Ribeiro, Geovan Menezes de Sousa et al.

BACKGROUND: Ketamine is an effective rapid-acting treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), producing antidepressant effects within hours of administration. Because it induces states of heightened neuroplasticity and psychological openness, psychotherapy may enhance its therapeutic effects. METHODS: This exploratory, nonrandomized, open-label clinical trial evaluated the adjunctive...

The role of therapeutic alliance in psilocybin treatment for treatment-resistant depression: A post hoc path analysis.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 1, 2026 Guy M. Goodwin, Scott T Aaronson, Oscar Alvarez et al. 2 citations

The contribution of patient support to psilocybin's antidepressant effects remains uncertain. Relationships between therapeutic alliance (Scale to Assess Therapeutic Relationship-Patient version; STAR-P), psychedelic experience (Five-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness Questionnaire and Emotional Breakthrough Inventory; 5D-ASC and EBI) and clinical outcomes (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression...

Comparative effectiveness and safety of esketamine versus injectable racemic ketamine and oral antidepressants for major depressive disorder: A population-based target trial emulation.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 1, 2026 Ching-Hua Julie Lee, Yunzhe Qian, Weiqun Yu et al.

This study evaluated the long-term comparative effectiveness and safety of esketamine versus injectable ketamine and esketamine versus oral antidepressants for major depressive disorder (MDD). This emulated target trial utilized observational data from a cohort of U.S. adults with MDD between 2018 and 2024. Patients were categorized into those receiving esketamine, injectable R,S-ketamine, and...

Psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder: Perspective from meta-analysis.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 1, 2026 Taro Kishi, Kenji Sakuma, Masakazu Hatano et al.

This systematic review and meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials aimed to investigate the temporal changes in the efficacy and safety of psilocybin treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). Separate meta-analyses were conducted for standard-dose psilocybin (25 mg/session, or 20-30 mg/70 kg/session) and low-dose psilocybin (10 mg/session or 15.05 mg/70 kg/session) subgroups....

Role of concomitant benzodiazepines, lithium, and lamotrigine in modulating the antidepressant effects of subcutaneous esketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depressive episodes: A retrospective naturalistic study.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 1, 2026 João Paulo Atidio, Rodrigo Simonini Delfino, Igor Saque Garios et al.

Ketamine and esketamine have been increasingly used as adjunctive treatments for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), yet evidence on pharmacological interactions with commonly prescribed psychotropic medications remains limited. This study evaluated the association between concomitant lamotrigine, lithium, and benzodiazepine use and antidepressant outcomes during subcutaneous esketamine...

Dimensional effect profiles in treatment-resistant depression: A naturalistic, prospective head-to-head comparison of arTMS, esketamine nasal spray, and oral brexpiprazole.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 28, 2026 Giacomo d'Andrea, Clara Cavallotto, Ottavia Susini et al.

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a heterogeneous condition in which symptoms such as anhedonia, rumination, and anxiety contribute to persistent disability. Esketamine nasal spray (ESK-NS), accelerated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (arTMS), and adjunctive brexpiprazole represent novel therapeutic options with distinct mechanisms, though their domain-specific effects in...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122333 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Accelerated rtms artms Brexpiprazole augmentation Treatment-resistant depression trd

Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor following oral esketamine in treatment-resistant depression: Results from a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 16, 2026 Sara Massetti, Sanne Y Smith-Apeldoorn, Jolien K E Veraart et al.

Ketamine and its enantiomer esketamine are efficacious in 30-35% of the patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Increased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) following treatment has been proposed as a potential biomarker of antidepressant response. This is based on studies evaluating single intravenous ketamine treatment. BDNF expression at different treatment schedules...

Predictors of responsiveness to ketamine: An updated systematic review of neuroimaging findings.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 15, 2026 Iman Kiani, Giulia Cattarinussi, Fabio Sambataro et al.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with a significant portion of patients experiencing treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Ketamine, a rapid-acting antidepressant, has shown promise in alleviating symptoms of TRD and suicidality, but variability in treatment response remains a challenge. Identifying neuroimaging biomarkers that predict responsiveness...

Sequential influences of emotion regulation and rumination in trait mindfulness-depression relationships.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 1, 2026 G. B. Maruthy, Lyndahl M. Himes, Nicholas A. Hubbard et al.

Depression is a common mental health disorder affecting millions worldwide. Pharmacotherapies are partially effective, but numerous side effects often make them unfavorable. Recent investigations show that mindfulness meditation effectively mitigates depression-symptoms but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we examined the sequential influence of emotion regulation (ER) and...

Intrinsic excitation-inhibition imbalance in major depressive disorder.

Journal of Affective Disorders June 29, 2026 Yao Ge, Lijuan Chen, Yu Shen et al.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) ranks among the foremost contributors to disability worldwide, yet its neurophysiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Excitation-inhibition (E/I) imbalance has been implicated in MDD pathophysiology, but cortex-wide E/I ratio and its molecular substrates in MDD remain unknown. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 254 MDD patients...