Research published in Journal of Affective Disorders

A randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness to escitalopram for anxiety: In-person and remote, synchronous delivery pre and post COVID-19 pandemic.

Journal of Affective Disorders September 1, 2025 Elizabeth A Hoge, Mihriye Mete, Amanda W Baker et al. 3 citations

During the pandemic, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) versus the antidepressant, escitalopram (ESC) added a second phase using a synchronous, videoconference (VC) format for both interventions, enabling randomized and naturalistic comparisons. The original in-person RCT demonstrated non-inferiority of MBSR to ESC. In the second phase, we...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.145 Full text Mindfulness Anxiety disorders Comparative effectiveness Escitalopram +1

Changes in dynamic and static functional connectivity in amygdala subregions in major depressive disorder treated with esketamine in and sertraline: A pilot study.

Journal of Affective Disorders September 1, 2025 Xianghong Liu, Lifeng Li, Haijun Li et al.

INTRODUCTION Dysfunction in amygdala networks has been implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD). Pharmacological treatments, such as esketamine and sertraline, are believed to exert their antidepressant effects by modulating amygdalar activity. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) within amygdala subregions and treatment...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120156

Baseline perceived stress as a predictor of ketamine/esketamine treatment response in treatment-resistant depression.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 15, 2025 Stefanie Cavalcanti, Vanessa K Pazdernik, Jennifer L. Vande Voort et al. 3 citations

Chronic stress is a risk factor for depression and may contribute to treatment resistance. This historical cohort study examined the association between baseline perceived stress, measured with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and response to (es) ketamine in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Adult TRD patients who received intravenous racemic ketamine or intranasal esketamine were...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.117 Full text Mood disorders Ketamine therapy Stress response Depression treatment +1

Efficacy and safety of esketamine for smoking cessation among patients diagnosed with lung cancer and major depression disorder: A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 15, 2025 Xinya Hong, Sen Xu, Gaozhong Sun et al. 3 citations

This multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of esketamine (ESK) for smoking cessation. The study enrolled a sample of 236 patients diagnosed with lung cancer and major depression disorder (MDD). Treatment included intranasal delivery of ESK or placebo once a week for 8 sessions. The primary outcomes were self-reported and...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.077 Full text Esketamine Antidepressant Major depression disorder Smoking cessation +10

Glutamate plus glutamine to GABA ratio as a predictor of ketamine response in treatment-resistant depression: A double-blind, randomized, open-label extension study.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 15, 2025 Yohei Ohtani, Hideaki Tani, Shiori Honda et al. 3 citations

Approximately 30 % of patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) respond to ketamine; however, no replicable predictors of response have been reported. The imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmissions may be implicated in the mechanism of action of ketamine. This study aimed to evaluate whether the ratio of glutamate and glutamine (Glx) to GABA levels at baseline in...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.165 Full text Treatment-resistant depression 1h-mrs Excitatory/inhibitory balance Gaba +6

The Effects of Ketamine and Esketamine on Measures of Quality of Life in Major Depressive Disorder and Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Systematic Review.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 1, 2025 Morgan C H Cheng, Christine E. Dri, Hana Ballum et al. 12 citations

The rapid and clinically meaningful antidepressant effects of ketamine and esketamine are well-established in major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) as evidenced by improvement in clinician- and patient-reported depression measures. However, there remains a need to determine how these agents affect patient-reported quality of life (QoL). Herein, we aimed to...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.119 Full text Esketamine Patient-reported outcomes Quality of life Depression therapy +4

Differential effects of mindfulness and grit on positive mental health outcomes in major depressive and bipolar disorders: A moderation analysis using an ecological momentary assessment approach.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 23, 2025 Joyce Xu Hao Jin, Heidi Ka Ying Lo, Iris Wai Tung Tsui et al. 2 citations

Holistic management of persons living with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Bipolar Disorder (BD) invites the need for evaluation of positive mental health (PMH; pleasure attainment and meaning-in-life), alongside conventional measures of psychopathology. The aforementioned dimensions of PMH involve aspects of mindfulness and grit. Herein, we evaluate these aspects using ecological momentary...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119969 Full text Major depressive disorder Mindfulness Bipolar disorder Grit +1

Mapping psilocybin therapy: A systematic review of therapeutic frameworks, adaptations, and standardization across contemporary clinical trials

Journal of Affective Disorders July 18, 2025 Mary E. Kittur, Mingyao Liu, Brett D. M. Jones et al. 12 citations

Accumulating evidence suggests that psilocybin can produce rapid and sustained clinical benefits when administered in conjunction with psychological support. Though non-pharmacological procedures are considered integral, the field lacks therapeutic guidelines and little is known about current practices. This systematic review sought to provide a comprehensive and cross-diagnostic synthesis of...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119952 Psilocybin Standardization Clinical trial Systematic review +2

Development of an Australian Clinical Practice Guideline on methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted Psychotherapy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 17, 2025 Alene Sze Jing Yong, Sue E Brennan, Suzie Bratuskins et al. 3 citations

Despite recent clinical and research interest, medical use of psychedelics has not been legalised in most jurisdictions. The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration rescheduled methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in July 2023 to permit authorised prescribing of MDMA for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) outside of the clinical trial setting. This manuscript describes the development of...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119866 Full text Psychedelic-assisted therapy Evidence-based treatment Therapeutic guidelines Psychedelic therapy: ecstasy +7

Combined ketamine and psychotherapy provide no additional benefit beyond ketamine alone in treating depression or PTSD: Evidence from a help-seeking sample.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 15, 2025 Tyler M Moore, Kathryn Walker, Emma Tung et al. 8 citations

Depression and PTSD are prevalent psychiatric conditions that often co-occur and significantly impact quality of life. Ketamine has emerged as a promising rapid-acting treatment for both conditions, while traditional treatments like psychotherapy typically require weeks to show effects. This study investigated whether combining ketamine with psychotherapy produces greater symptom improvement...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.041 Full text Post-traumatic stress Psychotherapy Mental health Depression therapy +3

The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on menopausal symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 15, 2025 Hongjuan Wang, Hui Wang, Jojo Yan Yan Kwok et al. 5 citations

Menopause, a crucial transitioning stage for women, can significantly impact mood and wellbeing. We aimed to systematically examine the effectiveness of Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on health outcomes, including menopausal symptoms, quality of life (QOL), sleep quality, anxiety, depressive symptoms, stress, mindfulness levels, and female sexual function index. Eight databases were...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.029 Full text Mindfulness Menopausal symptoms Menopause Quality of life

Does BMI matter when treating depression with esketamine? A retrospective analysis of real-world data.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 15, 2025 Mina Ansari, Taeho Greg Rhee, Mia C Santucci et al. 4 citations

Intranasal (IN) esketamine was approved as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression in March 2019. There continues to be interest in the field to better understand factors associated with response to treatment. The aim of the current study is to assess the association between BMI and response to esketamine. A retrospective analysis was conducted on all patients treated with intranasal...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.198 Full text Esketamine Treatment-resistant depression Psychiatric treatment Depression treatment +4

Combination of ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy in treatment resistant depression.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 15, 2025 Burcu Kök Kendirlioğlu, Melike Özmen, Sudesu Uluçay et al. 3 citations

Ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are among the recommended treatments for treatment resistant depression (TRD). However, there is a subset of patients who do not respond to either treatment, making it insufficient to address their condition. To determine the efficacy of concurrent therapy with ECT and intravenous racemic ketamine in TRD. This retrospective study included a total of...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.017 Full text Treatment-resistant depression Electroconvulsive therapy Unipolar depression Depression therapy +2

Opioids diminish the placebo antidepressant response: Observational post hoc findings from a randomized controlled ketamine trial.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 15, 2025 Theresa R. Lii, Josephine R. Flohr, Robin L. Okada et al. 1 citation

The endogenous opioid system is thought to play a role in the placebo antidepressant response. A recent trial comparing the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine versus placebo in surgical patients, some of whom were on chronic opioid therapy, revealed a substantial placebo effect. This finding provided an opportunity to test the hypothesis that opioid agonist exposure interacts with placebo...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.04.008 Full text Opioids Depression treatment Opioid effects Placebo response +2

Naturalistic psychedelic use and changes in depressive symptoms.

Journal of Affective Disorders July 9, 2025 Otto Simonsson, Peter S. Hendricks, Caroline M. Swords et al. 8 citations

While growing evidence suggests that psychedelic-assisted therapy may have antidepressant effects in certain populations, little is known about the effects of psychedelic use on depressive symptoms in non-clinical, naturalistic settings. This observational cohort study included a large sample of US residents (18-50 years old) and longitudinally evaluated the relationships between naturalistic...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119857 Full text Depression Increased depressive symptoms Negative outcomes Adverse effects +5

Comparing the effects of ECT and intravenous ketamine in psychiatric patients with major depressive episodes.

Journal of Affective Disorders June 18, 2025 Julia Myerson, Katrina A Rufino, Sanjay J. Mathew et al.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and intravenous (IV) ketamine are treatments used for severe depression and/or treatment-resistant depression (TRD). ECT is considered one of the most effective treatments for severe depression, although there is debate within the field regarding the effectiveness between ECT and IV ketamine in comparable TRD patient groups. This retrospective chart review of...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119727 Full text Depression Effectiveness Major depressive episodes Mental health treatment +10

Comparison of cognitive behavioral therapy and third-wave-mindfulness-based therapies for patients suffering from depression measured using the Beck-Depression-Inventory (BDI): A systematic literature review and network-meta-analysis.

Journal of Affective Disorders June 15, 2025 Alexander Buschner, Christian Makiol, Jue Huang et al. 5 citations

Mindfulness-based therapies (MBT) are proposed as a "third wave" of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This network meta-analysis investigated this hypothesis by comparing the effectiveness of MBT and CBT for treating depression, measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). An indirect comparison was made. Relevant databases were searched for studies comparing either CBT or MBT with...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.02.104 Full text Depression Cognitive behavioral therapy Meta-analysis Mindfulness-based-cognitive-therapy +2

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for treating generalized anxiety disorder and the moderating influence of abuse during childhood: A randomized controlled trial.

Journal of Affective Disorders June 15, 2025 Guangzheng Tang, Bijun Chen, Manhua Wu et al.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has emerged as a promising intervention for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This study evaluated MBCT's effectiveness for GAD and examined whether childhood maltreatment moderates its impact. Individuals with GAD were randomized to receive one of two 8-week interventions, either MBCT in-person or psychoeducation on-line (n = 27 per group). At...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.02.103 Full text Mindfulness Anxiety disorders Child abuse Subgroup analysis

The pattern of dissociative symptoms differs between post-traumatic stress disorder and first esketamine administration for treatment-resistant depression.

Journal of Affective Disorders June 12, 2025 David Williamson, Linda Williamson, Viola Vaccarino et al. 2 citations

Dissociative symptoms are commonly observed in a substantial minority of patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and during the first administration of esketamine for the treatment of Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD). We examine differences in the number and pattern of dissociative symptoms (depersonalization, derealization, dissociative amnesia, identity fragmentation) reported...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119632 Full text Nmda receptor antagonists Posttraumatic Stress Treatment resistant depression +6

Prophylactic esketamine for postpartum depression after cesarean section: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Journal of Affective Disorders June 10, 2025 Haibin Shi, Caihong Zheng, Bin Zhu 5 citations

According to recent research, esketamine may reduce the incidence of postpartum depression (PPD) risk following cesarean delivery. To further assess this potential benefit, a meta-analysis was conducted. Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and PubMed were searched from inception through March 2025. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models to calculate risk ratios (RRs)...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119631 Full text Meta-analysis Postpartum depression ppd Postnatal depression Cesarean section c-section +4

Long-term outcomes of single-dose psilocybin for U.S. military Veterans with severe treatment-resistant depression - 12-month data from an open-label pilot study.

Journal of Affective Disorders June 9, 2025 Sara Ellis, Catherine Bostian, Anna Donnelly et al. 3 citations

One-third of Veterans with major depressive disorder suffer from treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This is the first study to evaluate the long-term outcomes of psilocybin in Veterans with severe TRD. This paper presents 12-month results from an open-label pilot study assessing the effects of 25 mg psilocybin in Veterans with severe TRD, defined as a major depressive episode failing to...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119655 Full text Treatment-resistant depression Long-term outcomes Psychedelics Veterans mental health +3

Increased Kcnq2 in the hippocampal contributes to esketamine-induced long-term cognitive dysfunction in neonatal mice.

Journal of Affective Disorders June 8, 2025 Junjie Zhang, Rui Xiong, Yujuan Su et al. 1 citation

Esketamine is increasingly used to induce general anesthesia in pediatric populations. However, its neurological effects on healthy individuals-especially during early developmental stages-remain a topic of ongoing debate. In particular, concerns persist regarding its impact on the developing brain at extreme ages. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have not yet been...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119640 Full text Esketamine Cognitive impairments Kcnq2 Kv7.2 +6

The effects of the Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting Program (MBCP) on prenatal attachment, depression, stress, and anxiety in pregnant women: A randomized controlled trial.

Journal of Affective Disorders May 1, 2025 Ezgi Fındık, Neslihan Yılmaz Sezer, Menekşe Nazlı Aker et al. 11 citations

Interventions to cope with emotional states (depression, stress, and anxiety) and strengthen attachment are important. This research aims to determine the effect of the Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting Program (MBCP) on pregnant women's prenatal attachment and their levels of depression, stress, and anxiety. This randomized controlled trial included 36 participants who were randomly...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.02.030 Full text Mental health Prenatal attachment Prenatal stress Randomized controlled trial

Symptom modulation and tolerability of intravenous ketamine in treatment-resistant bipolar depression: A retrospective study.

Journal of Affective Disorders May 1, 2025 Alessandro Cuomo, Simone Pardossi, Giovanni Barillà et al. 7 citations

Ketamine's use in treating bipolar depression must account for risks, such as switching to manic episodes or worsening symptoms. This study examines ketamine's impact on depressive symptoms, focusing on 'inner tension,' 'sleep reduction,' and 'suicidal ideation' over four weeks in treatment-resistant bipolar disorder (TR-BD) patients. Fifty-nine patients with TR-BD were treated consecutively...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.01.059 Full text Bipolar disorder Mental health treatment Ketamine therapy Bipolar depression +2

Esketamine alleviates cognitive impairment signs induced by modified electroconvulsive therapy in a depression rat model via the KLF4/p38 MAPK pathway.

Journal of Affective Disorders May 1, 2025 Xiaohui Zhou, Li Zhang, Weiwei Gao et al. 4 citations

Depression is a common and serious psychiatric disorder with significant impacts on individuals. Modified electroconvulsive therapy (MECT) is an established treatment for severe and treatment-resistant depression, but its cognitive side effects, particularly memory impairments, limit its use. Esketamine (ESK), an FDA-approved antidepressant, has shown neuroprotective effects. However, its role...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.02.012 Full text Cognitive impairment Modified electroconvulsive therapy Neuroprotection Depression treatment +2

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