Australian study finds one depression type doesn't respond well to standard treatment
Researchers identified a new depression type called circadian depression linked to sleep disruptions, affecting 23% of Australians with severe depression.
Australian researchers found a new type of depression called circadian depression. Circadian depression affects nearly 23% of more than 11,000 Australians with serious depression.
Circadian depression is connected to disruptions in the body's internal clock. People with this type tend to be night owls.
They sleep longer when depressed. They wake feeling exhausted.
They also experience social jetlag (extreme differences between weekday and weekend sleep). The research shows circadian depression does not respond well to standard antidepressant drugs like SSRIs and SNRIs.
Instead, people with this type may benefit from treatments that target the body's sleep-wake cycle. Examples include light therapy and melatonin.
A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry found important results. People with circadian depression have more severe symptoms than other types.
They have earlier onset. They have more episodes.
They have higher rates of suicidal thoughts.
- Nearly 23 percent of study sample
- Circadian depression prevalence
- British Journal of Psychiatry
- Journal published in
Why it mattersIf doctors can identify this depression subtype early, they can prescribe targeted treatments instead of standard drugs. Standard drugs don't work well for this group.
AustraliaAustralians diagnosed with depression may now be screened for circadian depression to receive more effective, tailored treatment options.
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