Mental Health

  • AI-generated graphic of a man's face surrounded by geographic shapes. The image gives the impression of a fractured mind. The predominant colors are green and orange. The man's face is light skinned.

    New technique pioneered at Vanderbilt can identify new risk genes for schizophrenia

    Bingshan Li and his lab are changing the paradigm of how geneticists can identify risk genes for schizophrenia, enabling new studies into its underlying biology and opening new doors for the development of treatments against it. Read More

    Oct. 29, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    New ketamine study promises extended relief for depression

    Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S. Approximately 7% (17.3 million) of American adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2017. Roughly 10 percent of the U.S. population is afflicted with major depressive disorder at any… Read More

    Jun. 13, 2025

  • A 3D rendering of several neural synapses.

    New ketamine study promises extended relief for depression

    For the nearly 30 percent of major depressive disorder patients who are resistant to treatment, ketamine provides some amount of normalcy, but it requires frequent treatment and can have side effects. Vanderbilt researchers now show in proof-of-concept experiments that it may be possible to extend ketamine’s antidepressant effect from about a week to up to two months. Read More

    May. 22, 2025