RCPsych Publishing reposted this
Excitingly, Emiliana's paper on the potential of a circadian (body clock) subtype of depression has been published in The British Journal of Psychiatry today (which I had the privilege of co-authoring). The paper suggests that about one in four adults with severe, recurrent depression may have this subtype, defined by at least three of six markers: i) hypersomnia (sleeping more when depressed), ii) morning tiredness, iii) being a ‘night owl’, iv) seasonal changes in mood and energy, v) a later sleep midpoint, and vi) social jet lag. Interestingly, and in line with some of our #YouthMentalHealthAndTechnology team’s metabolic research, people with the subtype were more likely to report weight gain during depressive episodes and carried higher genetic risk for metabolic markers such as insulin resistance. For me personally, this research has been a unique experience: being both researcher and someone affected by the proposed subtype after two decades of misdiagnoses. Seeking help for symptoms, without knowing what drove them, leads only to frustration and interventions that can worsen the underlying problem. An experience I know too well. When talking with ABC News' Lauren Roberts alongside Ian and Emiliana, it became clear how much this new understanding validates my experience of symptoms, trajectory, and failed help-seeking. Better supporting people whose diagnoses don’t align with, or improve, what they’re experiencing (as mine didn’t) needs globally collaborative effort. That collaboration can’t only be researcher–researcher; it needs lived expertise as an equal collaborator. This paper shows what that looks like, bringing together researchers from Australia, the UK, and the US with members of our Brain and Mind Centre's Lived Experience Working Group. Read the interview (https://lnkd.in/giNqgM6X) and/or the paper (https://lnkd.in/gSGacc_5) here. RCPsych Publishing University of Sydney QIMR Berghofer Child Health Research Centre The University of Queensland UQ Institute for Molecular Bioscience The Lived Experience Lab Orygen National Mental Health Commission The Daily Aus batyr Crouse Mirim Shin Joanne Carpenter Brittany Mitchell Enda Byrne Penelope Lind Alex Hill Kathleen Merikangas Naomi Wray Nick Martin Yun Ju Christine Song Haley LaMonica Frank Iorfino Alexis Hutcheon Zsofi de Haan Mark Scott Emma McBride Mark Butler MP Professor The Hon Greg Hunt Patrick McGorry ZeZe Sohawon FRSA BCAh
