Highlights The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in unprecedented hazards to mental health globally. Relatively high rates of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychological distress, and stress were reported in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in eight countries. Common risk factors associated with mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic include female gender, younger age group (≤40 years), presence of chronic/psychiatric illnesses, unemployment, student status, and frequent exposure to social media/news concerning COVID-19. Mitigation of COVID-19 induced psychological distress requires government intervention and individual efforts.

No abstract

No abstract

Antidepressant medications are the first‐line treatment option for moderate to severe major depressive disorder. However, most antidepressants have numerous documented adverse events, including cardiometabolic effects and weight gain, which are major public health concerns. Antidepressant agents provide varying risk of associated weight gain, including significant within‐class differences. Some agents, such as mirtazapine, show significant levels of weight gain, while others, such as bupropion, demonstrate weight‐loss effects. Current findings suggest the role of histamine and serotonin off‐target appetite‐promoting pathways in adverse weight‐gain effects. Therefore, controlling for undesired weight effects is an important consideration for the selection of antidepressants.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of intravenous (IV) ketamine on anxiety, irritability, agitation, and suicidality, in adults with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (BD). Method: Adults (N = 201) with treatment-resistant MDD or BD received repeatdose IV ketamine treatment at a community-based clinic. Mixed features were measured using symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and agitation (AIA), as measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. The Quick Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report-16 (QIDS-SR 16) was used to measure overall treatment response, and the QIDS-SR 16 suicidal ideation (SI) item was used to measure change in SI symptoms with ketamine treatment. The anxiety, irritability, and agitation items How to cite this article: McIntyre RS, Lipsitz O, Rodrigues NB, et al. The effectiveness of ketamine on anxiety, irritability, and agitation: Implications for treating mixed features in adults with major depressive or bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord.