Participate in Depression Research
Why participate in research?
Research is the best way to understand depression and develop new treatment options. All of the treatments that we have today that work to help with depression are available because others like you have agreed to participate in research studies. Without patients and research we cannot conquer this disease.
The Depression Center research programs build on a long tradition of excellence. There are a number of different types of research involving people with depression being conducted within the Depression Center:
Clinical trials test how well new medications work individually and in new combinations. We work with medical experts throughout the country on the development of better treatments for depression. Clinical trials usually refer to a standardized treatment program that always includes an active treatment, but may include inactive treatment also (placebo). In some cases, it may include new treatments where their effectiveness is tested. But, ultimately we need to know more about the causes of depression to design the best treatment strategies.
Understanding what causes depression: Many studies of depression are more basic in nature. That is, the goal of the studies are to understand just what goes wrong in depression and what may change when depression improves. For example, many studies examine how the brain functions in those people with and without major depression. These studies often focus on brain activation, hormonal regulation or sleep patterns.
Outcome studies help us understand which treatments work best for depressed patients in real world situations. Outcome measures also help us to look at exactly how an individual patient is doing over time.
Prevention is our ultimate goal. In order to prevent depression we need to be able to predict who might get depression and which of the changes we see in the biology of depression may be present before depression starts. Good treatment can help prevent recurrences of depression, but some of the consequences of getting depressed may already be set in motion. We know depression can affect many systems of the body and increase the likelihood of heart disease and loss of bone calcium (osteoporosis). And we know that stress and depression worsens many other physical illnesses like diabetes or asthma. New prevention strategies are needed to stop the disease before it occurs.
