We are busy working to close out the year and gear up for a dynamic 2026, with lots of opportunities for growth and collaboration!

If you have capacity in your year-end giving plans, we are running our annual fundraiser Lighting the Path: Innovation Today, Care for Tomorrow. Lighting the Path is about bringing the best of mental health research and innovation directly to the people who need it most. Every gift fuels new discoveries, drives innovation, and helps open doors to care for more people. More information and links to donate can be found below.

Thank you for being a valued member and follower of the National Network of Depression Centers. Let's make this month one of growth, resilience, and above all, kindness toward ourselves and one another.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, we will be transitioning to a Microsoft-based email and file management system, so there may be disruptions in email, calendar items and document storage, especially on November 28-30. It has been advised that no new documents or updates to materials be made on Google Drive (for Task Group members) be made during this time. We apologize for any disruptions and look forward to the migration, as many of our members are on Microsoft-based platforms as well.

We're in the midst of our 2025 annual fundraising effort, Lighting the Path: Innovation Today, Care for Tomorrow.

Lighting the Path is about bringing the best of mental health research and innovation directly to the people who need it most. By expanding our collective reach, we’re working to ensure that breakthroughs in understanding depression and bipolar disorder translate into real, life-changing care.

Every gift fuels new discoveries, drives innovation, and helps open doors to care for more people. Help us on this path and make your donation today to build a future where effective mental health treatment is within everyone’s reach.

ASCP 2026 Award Submissions are open!

Each year we encourage NNDC members to submit for the annual ASCP Awards and the deadline to apply is January 28, 2026.

2026 Momentum Grant Applications are open!

Applying for an NNDC Momentum Grant gives Task Groups a timely boost—providing the resources, visibility, and support they need to push promising ideas forward and accelerate meaningful progress in mood disorder research.

Please review the "NNDC 2026 Momentum Grant Application Guidance and FAQs" document before submitting a request. Completed forms must be submitted by January 30, 2026. Awards will be announced by March 13, 2026.

Did you know? We have two new task groups!

NNDC Task Groups are where the magic of collaboration happens and we've got two new ones as of this fall: the Mood Disorders & Substance Use Task Group and the Psychotherapy for Mood Disorders Task Group.

Get involved and connected by emailing Mary Laffey at mlaffey@nndc.org!

Member Recognition | Kate Burdick, PhD

Member Recognition | Congratulate Kate Burdick, PhD who transitioned to a new role at Columbia University

We'd like to take a moment to honor the work of NNDC member Kate Burdick, PhD, one of our Bipolar Disorders Task Group Co-chairs in her new role with Columbia University. We're inspired by impact she has made in the field of mood disorders and looking forward to see all that she accomplishes at Columbia as the vice chair of research.

Kate served as co-chair of the Bipolar Disorders Task Group, which supports and guides cutting-edge research initiatives aimed at deepening our understanding of the genetic and biological origins of bipolar disorder. The group has played a key role in advancing critical research and accelerating scientific discovery in this field.

Psychedelics & Related Compounds | Consensus Statement

The potential for psilocybin, and other psychedelic drugs, to fulfil a much needed and potentially transformative class of psychiatric treatments has garnered significant attention. Consequently, there has been a great deal of interest and investment in accelerating its development and potential implementation in routine clinical practice. However, the expanding scope of scientific discovery, heightened media coverage, and commercial interests in the field risk outpacing the rate of developments in the necessary guidelines and infrastructure required for integration of psilocybin into clinical practice.

The US National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC) Task Group on Psychedelics and Related Compounds—comprising psychiatrists, psychologists, neuroscientists, psychedelic researchers, and leaders in healthcare consulting affiliated with the NNDC—developed this consensus statement as a summary of clinical expertise and opinion on the matter, to recognise psilocybin's therapeutic potential while also emphasising the need for further research and careful consideration before the integration of psilocybin into routine clinical care. We outline the current state of the science on psilocybin, incorporating articles published through April 2025.

Child & Adolescent Mood Disorders | Cannabis and Treatment


Dramatic shifts in state-level cannabis laws (CLs) and federal hemp regulations have resulted in increased availability and use of cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) products throughout the US, with unknown implications for the youth. Youth with mood disorders represent a vulnerable population that is more likely to use cannabis and CBD and is at elevated risk for experiencing cannabis-related adverse health outcomes. This multisite study characterized attitudes, health perceptions, and behaviors related to cannabis and CBD use among US youth receiving mood disorder treatment and their parents, and assessed whether attitudinal differences varied as a function of respondent group and state-level CL status.

sions were run using respondent group and state-level CL status as between-subject factors. Most youths (76% and 74%) and parents (65% and 68%) endorsed believing that cannabis and CBD, respectively, are safe and effective treatments for mental health conditions, and that regular use of these products reduces depression, anxiety, and suicidal behaviors. Intergenerational differences in cannabis-related attitudes and health perceptions were observed, with some associations varying as a function of state-level CL. Among the youth, male sex and positive cannabis expectancies and attitudes were associated with higher cannabis use intentions. Findings can inform prevention and public health messaging efforts.

NNDC's Newest Member | Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is the newest member of the National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC) following a recent vote by the NNDC Board of Directors.

A leader in innovation, Cleveland Clinic has spearheaded several firsts in Ohio’s mental health landscape—including starting one of the state's first psychedelic clinical trials and establishing the state’s first fully integrated interventional psychiatry service, underscoring Cleveland Clinic’s dedication to expanding both FDA-approved and experimental interventions for patients who have not responded to conventional therapies.

“Cleveland Clinic’s pioneering work in treatment-resistant depression exemplifies the NNDC mission—bringing together leading experts and institutions to accelerate discovery and improve lives,” said Matt Samocki, Ed.D, Executive Director of the National Network of Depression Centers. “Their membership strengthens our collective ability to address the complexities of mood disorders through collaboration and innovation.”

Philanthropy + Research | A heart-warming story

CBS Evening News | Philanthropy dollars at work for research

When a Harvard team lost its research funding into the axolotl, a 6-year-old girl came to their rescue, inspiring the researchers with her actions. Steve Hartman shares the story "On the Road."

Watch the segment here

Podcast | Breathe + Anxiety

Transform anxiety into calm, stress into clarity, and disconnection into deep presence through the one tool you already have complete mastery over: your breath.

In this illuminating conversation, conscious breathing pioneer Jessica Dibb shares powerful yet simple techniques from her book, Breathwork and Psychotherapy: Clinical Applications for Healing and Transformation, that can shift your state more effectively than coffee or wine. Learn how this most basic human function becomes a universal bridge across divides and a pathway to accessing your deepest potential, all through a practice that takes just minutes a day.

Listen here