Much research over the past decade has demonstrated the benefits of physical exercise in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Nonpharmacological methods to treat depression include more than just ECT: recent developments include promising strategies like repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and vagal nerve stimulation (VNS). Another procedure, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) involves the application of weak direct electrical current to the brain via scalp electrodes, which can be positioned to deliver currents that increase or decrease cortical excitability.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, was approved by the FDA for treatment of major depression in October 2008. A newly published observational study evaluating the effectiveness of TMS treatment in more than 300 patients at 42 clinical settings across the United States has found that most patients responded well to this intervention, with few adverse effects (Carpenter LL et al, Dep Anx 2012;29(8):587–596).

Augmentation of antidepressants with antipsychotics has become a common practice, and aripiprazole (Abilify) has been FDA-approved at doses from 2 mg/day to 15 mg/day for this purpose. In a recent report, 225 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who had failed one to four antidepressant trials were studied to determine whether low dose Abilify really works.

Do patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) respond better when psychiatrists offer the type of treatment—medication or psychotherapy—that the patient prefers?

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has suddenly begun popping up in both the medical journals and the mainstream media as a potential treatment for treatment resistant depression.

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Medications are more effective than therapy.”“Therapy is just as effective, but lasts longer.”Depending on your biases, you can probably find evidence to support either of the above propositions.Dozens of trials compare cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to a waiting-list control group, and hundreds of trials examine how antidepressants compare to placebo.

Patients are probably asking you about Deplin, or L-methylfolate, a version of folic acid that is being marketed by Pamlab as an adjunctive treatment for depression.