Depression in focus: Insights from animal and human data, from molecular to behavioural analyses.

Abstract

Depressive disorders are endemic as they affect around 16% of the population at some point over the lifespan, and they result in personal suffering, increased risk of suicide and notable socio-economic burden. The core symptoms include low mood, low self-esteem, and a general loss of interest. Because the neurobiological mechanisms of depressive disorders remain poorly understood, and current treatments are only effective in approximately two-thirds of patients, there is intensive ongoing research on the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying depression and its therapies, to determine the factors of risk or resilience to depression and to identify new therapeutic targets.