By Joy Burkhard, MBA
Founder and Executive Director, 2020 Mom

Here are the news articles covering clinical topics that caught my eye in the last two months. Note the focus on gut health and nutrition and the connection to depression. If you have had experiences as a patient or treating provider with any of these treatments please post your story in the comments below.

The Vagus Nerve May Carry Serotonin Along the Gut-Brain Axis

SSRIs may activate vagus nerve-dependent gut-to-brain serotonin signaling. Read more here.

Even Mother's Mild Depressive Symptoms Affect the Child’s Emotional Well-being – Support Must be Provided Through Pregnancy and the Child’s First Year

According to recent research, even mild long-term depressive symptoms among mothers are connected with emotional problems among small children such as hyperactivity, aggressiveness, and anxiety. Read more here.

Association of Positive Family Relationships With Mental Health Trajectories From Adolescence To Midlife

National longitudinal studies that examine the linkages between early family experiences and sex-specific development of depression across the life course are lacking despite the urgent need for interventions in family settings to prevent adult depression.

Objective To examine whether positive adolescent family relationships are associated with reduced depressive symptoms among women and men as they enter midlife. Read it here.

Changing Your Diet Can Help Tamp Down Depression, Boost Mood

A new study finds that symptoms of depression dropped significantly among a group of young adults after they followed a Mediterranean-style pattern of eating for three weeks. It's the latest study to show that food can influence mental health. Learn more here.

Psychedelic Substances Can Help Treat Anxiety, Depression And Other Mental Illnesses

Johns Hopkins University has launched a center for psychedelic research with $17 million in donations solely from private donors, the first of its kind in the U.S. The establishment of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins Medicine signals “a new era of research in therapeutics and the mind,” according to the center’s director, Roland Griffiths. Read it here.

New Study Shows Common Antidepressant Doesn't Work for Depression Like Experts Thought

Since the antidepressant sertraline (brand name Zoloft) was first approved in 1992, it’s been a mainstay for doctors and psychiatrists prescribing medication for depression. A new study, however, suggests Zoloft doesn’t necessarily work for depression, but it still makes a positive impact for many people. Read more here.

How the Internal Clock Affects the Gut Microbiome

Scientists have discovered that a key group of immune cells important for regulating the health of the gut microbiome is tied to circadian rhythms, which could help explain why throwing off someone’s internal clock can lead to gut issues. The cells, called group 3 innate lymphoid cells, help maintain a healthy balance among bacteria and the gut. But in this paper, research teams reported that disrupting the cells’ “clock genes” in turn skewed their ability to harmonize the microbiome and fight off infection.

Brain Stimulation Shows Promise in Treating Severe Depression

For more than a decade, doctors have been using brain-stimulating implants to treat severe depression in people who do not benefit from medication, talk therapy or electroshock sessions. The treatment is controversial — any psychosurgery is, given its checkered history — and the results have been mixed. Two major trials testing stimulating implant for depression were halted because of disappointing results, and the approach is not approved by federal health regulators. Read more here.

Pathways Between Early‐life Adversity and Adolescent Self‐harm: the Mediating Role of Inflammation in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is a well-established risk factor for self-harm, however, the psychological and biological processes underlying these relationships are unclear. Inflammation has been postulated as a potential candidate mechanism, as a growing number of studies have found an association between inflammatory markers and both ACEs and self-harm or suicide. Read more here.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Depressive Symptoms in Pregnancy are Associated with Adverse Perinatal Outcomes

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Together, prenatal vitamin D deficiency and elevated depressive symptoms in pregnancy may increase risk for adverse perinatal outcomes, especially in racial minorities. Obstetric providers should consider routine prenatal depression screening. The impact of vitamin D supplementation early in pregnancy might be especially beneficial for depressed women. Read the study now.