The MGH Depression Clinical and Research Program conducts ground-breaking studies in neuroscience, genetics, and the assessment of new and established treatments for mental health disorders.
The DCRP integrates clinical care and research within MGH’s Department of Psychiatry, which has earned the #1 ranking in psychiatry in the U.S. News & World Report's annual survey “America’s Best Hospitals” for 17 of the the past 20 years.
Our program’s successes in depression research have improved clinical practice and contributed to the development of new standards of care. Here are some examples of treatments that were studied in the DCRP:
- Medication augmentation treatments for depression, including aripiprazole (Abilify) and Ziprasidone (Geodon).
- New psychotherapeutic approaches, like Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for individuals with depression and chronic pain
- Complementary and alternative treatments, including St. John’s Wort, SAMe, Omega-3 fatty acids, and L-Methylfolate
- Early studies on yoga and two large trials examining the effectiveness of Tai Chi
- Innovative technologies such as telepsychiatry consultation