Why is data science ending the era of one size fits all therapy for depression?

Every now and then, New Scientist helps a carefully selected commercial partner speak to our audience. Their support helps us produce the high quality journalism we bring you every week. We hope you find today's message relevant and useful. Find out why the era of one size fits all therapy for depression is ending. Precision medicine for physical conditions has been available for a while now. This is not the case for mental illnesses, largely because their underlying complexity had never been fully explored. Depression, for instance, presents differently in different people, yet current diagnosis and treatment methods can’t capture nuances. If only specific depression subtypes could be identified and treatment plans personalised accordingly, it would enable more precise treatments and increase the likelihood of recovery. Ground-breaking research completed by Dr Ana Catarino and the team at ieso, in partnership with the University of Sheffield, has identified five broad subtypes of depression, along with 14 depressive states characterised by distinct symptom profiles. The team has also determined how each subtype responds to treatment. This study is the first to demonstrate conclusive evidence of the existence of different dimensions and subtypes in depressive symptoms. Their discoveries lay the foundations for changing the way we characterise and treat depression. * This email has been sent to {EMAIL} * [Unsubscribe]( from further emails relating to selected third party partners from New Scientist. * Read our [privacy policy]( [Contact Us]( Disclaimer This message is intended only for the use of the person(s) ("Intended Recipient") to whom it is addressed. It may contain information which is privileged and confidential. Accordingly any dissemination, distribution, copying or other use of this message or any of its content by any person other than the Intended Recipient may constitute a breach of civil or criminal law and is strictly prohibited. If you are not the Intended Recipient, please contact the sender as soon as possible. We and our third party service providers may use cookies and other web technologies in conjunction with this email. These technologies are used to understand activity with this email and on certain portions of our website. This enables us to improve our site, your experience on our site, and the offerings that we may provide to you. If you do not want these technologies placed on your device, please opt-out of receiving emails from us. Copyright New Scientist Registered Office: New Scientist, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, Kensington, London, W8 5TT Registered in England under Company No. 10644366 Australian mailing address: PO Box 2315, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012, Australia Registered in Australia under ABN 22 621 413 170