Depression (major depressive disorder)

By Mayo Clinic Staff
Sept. 01, 2026

Research

Mayo Clinic researchers have made important contributions to studies on depression. Mayo Clinic Depression Center is a Center of Excellence for the National Network of Depression Centers.

Areas of research include:

  • Developing effective treatments for treatment-resistant depression
  • Genetic and environmental factors in depression
  • How genomic variations may predict response to medications (pharmacogenomics)
  • Developing more-targeted drug treatment options for people with mood disorders, based on variations in brain imaging patterns, brain metabolism and genetic makeup

Publications

See a list of publications on depression by Mayo Clinic doctors on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.

  1. Mental health medications. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/mental-health-medications. Accessed June 1, 2016.
  2. Lam R, et al. Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2023 update on clinical guidelines for management of major depressive disorder in adults. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 2024; doi:10.1177/07067437241245384.
  3. Depressive disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision DSM-5-TR. American Psychiatric Association; 2022. http://www.psychiatryonline.org. Accessed June 1, 2026.
  4. Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml. Accessed June 1, 2026.
  5. Major depressive disorder. National Alliance on Mental Illness. http://www.nami.org/types-of-conditions/depression. Accessed June 1, 2026.
  6. Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression. Accessed June 1, 2026.
  7. Depression. American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression. Accessed June 1, 2026.
  8. Drugs@FDA: FDA-Approved Drugs. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf. Accessed June 1, 2026.
  9. Children's mental health: Anxiety and depression in children. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ children-mental-health/about/about-anxiety-and-depression-in-children.html#depression. Accessed. June 1, 2016.
  10. DailyMed. National Library of Medicine. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed. Accessed June 15, 2026.
  11. Gronemann F, et al. Association of familial aggregation of major depression with risk of major depression. JAMA Psychiatry. 2023; doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.4965.
  12. Rush A. Major depressive disorder in adults: Initial treatment with antidepressants. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed July 31, 2026.
  13. Building your resilience. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx. Accessed June 1, 2026.
  14. Rush A. Major depressive disorder in adults: Approach to initial management. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed July 31, 2026.
  15. Stewart D, et al. Antenatal use of antidepressants and the potential risk of teratogenicity and adverse pregnancy outcomes: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed July 31, 2026.
  16. Kimmel M, et al. Safety of infant exposure to antidepressants and benzodiazepines through breastfeeding. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed July 31, 2026.
  17. Bipolar and related disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision DSM-5-TR: American Psychiatric Association; 2022. http://www.psychiatryonline.org. Accessed June 1, 2026.
  18. Hirsch M, et al. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs): Pharmacology, administration, safety, and side effects. http://www.uptodate.com/home. July 31, 2026.
  19. Medical review (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic.