Background: Depression, which frequently onsets in young people, is projected to become the largest single burden of disease globally in the next decade. Its impact may be disproportionally felt in low-income countries, such as Tanzania, where availability of appropriate care in the community is poor. As part of the development of a health provider work force that can properly address this issue, assessment of current mental health literacy, focusing on knowledge about and self-confidence in the identification, diagnosis and treatment of Depression in young people by community health care providers is needed. This study addresses that need.

Introduction: Epidural labor analgesia may decrease the risk of postpartum depression (PPD). Methods: In a secondary analysis of a prospective study, the association between epidural utilization and PPD was evaluated using a Fisher’s exact test. PPD was defined as an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression score of > 10 at 6-8 weeks postpartum.

Frontostriatal system functioning has been proposed to underpin performance on executive functioning tasks; these structures are abnormally activated in adults with depression. In this study, the P200 and P300 event-related potentials (ERPs) were elicited during a classic two-tone auditory oddball task to compare the electrophysiological profiles of elderly people (N = 54; Mean age = 85.46 ± 6.21) diagnosed with clinical depression ( n = 17), subthreshold depression ( n = 25) or no depression ( n = 12). The P200 results revealed higher amplitude and significantly longer latencies in depressed groups relative to non-depressed participants. Higher P300 amplitude, but shorter latencies, were observed in depressed relative to non-depressed participants. Findings are discussed in terms of cognitive information processing models of ERPs and the potential for non-cognitive factors to impact on the resulting electrophysiological profile.

Background: Although strong association between drinking and depression as well as alcohol- related disorders (ARD) has been reported, the relationship between potential ability to drink (genetic alcohol sensitivity) and depression or ARD is unclear. Genetic alcohol sensitivity is regulated by two alcohol metabolic enzyme genes, ADH1B and ALDH2 polymorphisms. We have already evaluated the association between depression and these polymorphisms in Japanese white-collar workers.Current study expanded this issue on community-dwelling relatively older adults.