The Massachusetts General Hospital Guide to Depression ― New Treatment Insights and Options

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, with a lifetime prevalence rate of roughly 20%. MDD is a leading cause of disability and premature death worldwide, leads to greater impairment in work functioning than other chronic medical conditions, and has an estimated annual cost of $210 billion in the US.

 

The proposed text is designed for mental health professionals and will present state-of-the-art treatment options that are used in the Depression Clinical and Research Program (DCRP) at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The text provides different treatment options so that providers can ‘think outside the box’ of conventional interventions. The introductory sections discuss general themes about diagnosing and treating depression. The major body of the book, however, consists of chapters organized under the topics of new medication, new psychotherapy, alternative treatments, and consideration of specific populations and how to modify interventions to best treat these patients. Each chapter begins with a case vignette to illustrate key characteristics of the disorder process or treatment and reviews the history, research support, and new advances of these topics. In addition, the chapters include a description of how to apply this topic in treatment and frequently asked questions and answers.

 

This book will be a unique contribution to the field. Existing guides focus on individual treatments of Depression, or include brief descriptions of interventions as a whole. The DCRP has consistently been a forerunner of clinical treatments for depression and often treats challenging cases of this disorder. This book will provide a practical and useful resource with wide applicability.

Benjamin G. Shapero, Ph.D.
Assistant in Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital
Member of Faculty of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
1 Bowdoin Square, 6th Floor
Boston, MA 02114

David Mischoulon, M.D. Ph.D.
Director, Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
1 Bowdoin Square, 6th Floor
Boston, MA 02114

Cristina Cusin, M.D.
Director, Translational Studies in the Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
1 Bowdoin Square, 6th Floor
Boston, MA 02114

 

David Mischoulon is an Associate Psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and the Director of Research and Alternative Remedy Studies at the Depression Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Mischoulon graduated from the combined MD-PhD program at Boston University School of Medicine in 1994, and then interned in preliminary medicine at Carney Hospital from 1994-1995. From 1995-1998 he completed his residency in adult psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he served as Chief Resident in Psychopharmacology. Dr. Mischoulon has authored or co-authored more than 100original articles, review articles, and book chapters, and has also co-edited a textbook on natural medications for psychiatric disorders.