Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered the first-line treatment for depression; however, our confidence in their safety took a hit when the FDA issued a warning in 2011 about doses of citalopram above 40 mg causing QTc prolongation.

Complementary and alternative medicine is gradually becoming more mainstream, and we covered some of these treatments in a recent issue of TCPR, but we didn’t cover yoga and meditation. Sudarshan Kriya yoga (SKY) is a meditation technique that combines yoga poses, sitting meditation, and breathing exercises.

Is depression a disorder of inflammation? This intriguing hypothesis has been floating around in the literature over the past few years. Thus far, the findings are suggestive but not definitive. For instance, one marker of inflammation, C-reactive protein, was found to be higher in people with psychological distress and depression.

Dr. Massoumi is one of the most nationally prominent psychiatrists teaching about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments. In this Expert Q&A she discussses cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES), with a focus on Alpha-Stim.

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Saunas and hot tubs are pleasant and “therapeutic” for most of us, so it may be no surprise that scientists are trying to turn such experiences into psychiatric treatments. Whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) is a treatment that has long been used as an effective adjunct for treatment of certain kinds of cancers, and recently researchers have been testing it for depression.

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While there is some overlap with major depression, complicated grief has core symptoms of yearning and sorrow and great difficulty accepting the reality of death. It’s one of the more controversial proposed DSM disorders, with critics seeing it as medicalizing a normal human experience.

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When patients become severely suicidal, we have few good treatment options. Recognizing the need for more options, Israeli researchers studied the use of very low doses of buprenorphine in suicidal patients. Patients with suicidal ideation were recruited from four medical centers.