European PsychiatryApril 1, 2025C. Pinheiro Ramos, A. F. Reis, C. Batista et al.
IntroductionNitrous oxide (N2O) was first discovered in 1772 by Joseph Priestley. Since its anesthetic properties were realized in 1844, it has been used in the medical and dental fields. Nitrous oxide is also known as “laughing gas” or “nos”.Recent literature suggests that studying N2O is important, not only for understanding the pathophysiology of bipolar depression but also for exploring its...
European PsychiatryApril 1, 2025E. A. Ródenas Vera, S. Sabater, P. Alvarez et al.
IntroductionDepressive disorder is one of the health problems that carries the greatest burden of morbidity, with high prevalence and impact on people’s quality of life. It also affects the family environment and contributes to the social and economic burden on health systems (World Health Organization, depression, 2023). Currently, the treatment of depression has limitations and there is a...
IntroductionTreatment-resistant Depression (TRD) nowadays it is consider a public health problem. Studies had demonstrate that TRD has higher prevalence of psychiatric comorbid conditions, twice the utilization of outpatient health care resources, 3 times the number of inpatient bed-days, and 23% higher all-cause mortality. Esketamine, the S-enantiomer of ketamine, has been recently approved...
IntroductionKetamine is widely recognized for its dissociative anesthetic properties, particularly in procedural sedation and severe pain management among children, adolescents, and young adults. Despite its noted applications, research investigating ketamine’s impact on mood and suicidality within this specific demographic remains limited. This retrospective review seeks to address this gap by...
Background. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a prevalent, high-burden disorder. Esketamine nasal spray (ESK-NS) has been approved for, T.R.D.; and efficacy has been observed in both clinical trials and real-world studies. However, observations integrating patients’ perspective on this treatment are limited. This multicentric Italian study explored experiences with ESK-NS in TRD patients,...
European PsychiatryApril 1, 2025Ilídio Oliveira, A. L. Stephany, M. L. Geremias et al.
Introduction Anxious depression (AxD) as an independent diagnostic has been controversial, with many suggesting it as a transient state and others highlighting evidence of a worse outcome, severity, and increased suicide risk. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) lists a related concept under 6A73, Mixed depressive and anxiety disorder. Previous literature on ketamine’s...
European PsychiatryApril 1, 2025P. Andres-Olivera, Janis V. de la Iglesia, E. Dominguez-Alvarez et al.
Introduction Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound, has shown potential in treating depression, especially in cases resistant to conventional treatments. This study systematically reviews the scientific literature to assess its efficacy and safety. Objectives The main objective of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effects of psilocybin for the treatment of depressive disorder through a...
Although there is growing support for the protective effects of psychedelics on mental health, recent evidence finds racial and ethnic minorities gain fewer benefits. This paper aims to test whether the disparate mental health outcomes associated with psychedelic use extend across multiple racial and ethnic groups, including non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics. In order to...
Personalised management of recurrent depression, considering individual patient characteristics, is crucial. This study evaluates the potentially different mediating role of mindfulness skills in managing recurrent depression using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) among people with varying depression severity. Data from the Prevention of Depressive Relapse or Recurrence (PREVENT)...
This study evaluated the impact of mindfulness-based nursing interventions (MBNIs) on reducing depression and enhancing resilience in oncology patients. Oncology patients face high levels of depression and weakened resilience, which significantly reduces their quality of life, affects their ability to adhere to treatment and worsens health outcomes. Additional stressors linked to the diagnosis,...
Rehabilitative measures following spinal cord injury (SCI) typically fail to mitigate the psychological symptoms that might heighten pain levels. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have been proposed to address such concerns. We aim to review the literature on MBI used for pain, anxiety, and depression in SCI. A systematic literature search for studies using MBI in patients with pain and...
Ketamine has shown promise in rapidly improving symptoms of depression and most notably treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, given the heterogeneity of TRD, biobehavioral markers of treatment response are necessary for the personalized prescription of intravenous ketamine. Heterogeneity in depression can be manifested in discrete patterns of functional connectivity (FC) in default...
Depression is predicted to be the leading burden of disease worldwide by 2030 with a prevalence of 10% to 60% in the surgical population. Depressive symptoms in the perioperative population are associated with a myriad of grave complications, including higher morbidity and mortality. This systematic review aims to determine whether a single dose of intravenous ketamine can be used...
Patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD) experience a greater negative impact on their functioning and productivity at home and in the workplace versus treatment-responsive patients. Here, we report the effects of esketamine nasal spray (NS) versus quetiapine extended release (XR) on functioning, work productivity and activity impairment. ESCAPE‑TRD (NCT04338321) was a 32-week...
The phenomenology of depression is characterized by a wide array of emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms that significantly disrupt an individual's life. Societal changes, driven by technological advancements, economic pressures, environmental concerns including climate change, and shifting cultural norms, have influenced how depression manifests and is understood. These developments...
The simplest, most convenient, and least expensive way to treat depressed and suicidal patients with ketamine is to administer racemic ketamine by the oral route. We describe the first active-controlled randomized clinical trial of oral racemic ketamine for suicidal ideation associated with depression. Adult patients with major depressive disorder and expressed suicidal ideation were randomized...
Ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant, is a racemic mixture, composed of equal amounts of R- and S-ketamine. Preclinical studies are comparing them to better understand their role in therapeutic and undesirable effects. An important research gap is that studies do not use long clinically relevant protocols to compare the desired and undesired effects of ketamine enantiomers in modeled and...
To determine whether intraoperative low-dose esketamine ameliorates depression in women having breast cancer surgery. A prospective single-center double blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Perioperative period, operating room, post anesthesia care unit and hospital ward. 108 women 18-65 years old who were scheduled for elective breast cancer surgery. All had preoperative depressive...
The effective treatment of major depressive disorder remains one of the biggest public health challenges globally. For moderate to severe cases, pharmacotherapy often falls short, leading to treatment-resistant depression. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has generally been considered the gold standard for severe cases of treatment-resistant depression. However, emerging evidence suggests that...
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition characterized by a pervasive pattern of impulsivity, affective dysregulation, and cognitive-perceptual symptoms. Treatment of BPD remains a significant challenge to mental health clinicians. People who suffer from BPD frequently have comorbid psychiatric disorders, which makes treatment more complex. This case study describes a...