Tag Archives: Major Depression

Treating Depression: Is there a placebo effect?

A Harvard scientist says the drugs used to treat depression are effective, but for many, it’s the placebo effect that’s making people feel better.  Do antidepressants work? Since the introduction of Prozac in the 1980s, prescriptions for antidepressants have soared 400 percent, with 17 million Americans currently taking some form of the drug. But how …

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First blood test to diagnose major depression in teens

Breakthrough test identifies depression and its subtypes with promise of individualized treatment CHICAGO — A Northwestern Medicine scientist has developed the first blood test to diagnose major depression in teens, a breakthrough approach that allows an objective diagnosis by measuring a specific set of markers found in a patient’s blood. The current method of diagnosing depression …

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