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We've got a ton of updates for you in this month's newsletter as we're now under two months to go before the NNDC Annual Conference!
The 17th NNDC Annual Conference in Cincinnati is coming up fast! Join us this September 10-11 in collaboration with co-hosts the University of Cincinnati, The Lindner Center of HOPE, and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center!
This newsletter is a long one with all the conference happenings! Some mail systems will shorten messages and so if you don't immediately see podcasts and 'what we're following' at the end, click 'view entire message' or view the whole email here.
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.
| Join us in Cincinnati for the 2025 NNDC Annual Conference! | |
2025 NNDC Annual Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio
Who should attend?
This event is open for all clinicians, researchers, educators, staff and individuals certified, involved or interested in mental health. The NNDC plans on at least 7.25 continuing education credits that will be available for physicians, psychologists, social workers and nurses through the ACCME, APA, ASWB, and ANCC boards.
Attendees from NNDC member sites plus those that are interested in NNDC membership are encouraged to register. Colleagues from industry, non-profit, government and general mental health advocate sectors are also encouraged to attend to enjoy learning and collaborating with NNDC members.
Registration Fees
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MEMBERS: $95 for the September 11th NNDC Annual Conference
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NON-MEMBERS: $295 for the September 11th NNDC Annual Conference
Note: If you are attending the free September 10th NNDC Pre-Conference Day which includes an NNDC Task Group Open House, several new workshop opportunities, a Board of Directors meeting plus a dinner reception, please select that option on the registration form.
Visit nndc.org/member-sites if you are unsure of your membership status.
Location
The 2025 NNDC Annual Conference in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati, The Lindner Center of HOPE, and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center will be held at The Graduate by Hilton at 151 Goodman St. Cincinnati, Ohio.
Hotel Information
The NNDC Annual Conference currently has a special rate at the following hotels:
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Graduate by Hilton at a rate of USD $169 per night (plus tax)
- Guests can use the link above to make reservations
- Select the dates of your stay + room type
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Fairfield Inn & Suites Uptown/University at a rate of USD $152 / night (plus tax)
- Guests can use the link above to make reservations (good til August 20)
- Select the dates of your stay + room type (only 30 rooms available)
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Palix Foundation CME Training on Sept. 10
(separate registration)
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About Resilience Scale Training
Resilience can be defined as the ability to respond positively in the face of adversity. The Resilience Scale metaphor depicts how adversities, positive supports, and acquired skills and abilities interact to influence resilience and impact lifelong physical and mental health outcomes. It contextualizes foundational knowledge and creates a common language that is accessible across populations and disciplines, including policymakers, practitioners, service providers, and the public.
The Resilience Scale demonstrates the importance of interventions and programs that work to reduce adversity, provide positive support, and improve skills and abilities to build resilience in children and families.
Participants will see the application of the Resilience Scale in several contexts and discuss how it can act as an effective visual tool to communicate with clients and patients to build resilience in individuals, organizations, and communities.
Space is limited to the first 50 registrants. Register by August 10.
(Note: Interested participants must register separately for this event from the NNDC Annual Conference.)
View CME Information here and download the event flyer here.
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The Conference Program Committee welcomes all conference attendees to submit a poster related to depression and bipolar illnesses.
Posters can be submitted to one of two categories:
1. Basic Science
All areas of research are welcome, but posters dealing with approaches (both biological and psychosocial) to understanding mood disorders, new or repurposed treatments and technologies, monitoring strategies with the potential to improve patient outcomes, or objective measures like biometrics, neuroimaging, bloodwork, or genetics are encouraged.
2. Clinical Programs
Unified efforts are the best way to expedite technological innovation, dissemination of new information, and translation of research into clinical practice. Posters in this category might showcase multidisciplinary programs, demonstrate the efficacy of collaborations beyond academic boundaries, or deal with clinical assessments like patient questionnaires, clinical diagnoses, or clinical interviews.
There will be a total of four (4) poster awards given. A “Best Overall” and a “Best Emerging Scholar” poster award will be designated for each category. “Emerging Scholars” are graduate students, fellows, post-doctoral fellows, residents, or early career faculty within 5 years of fellowship or post-graduate appointment at an NNDC Center of Excellence or an NNDC Associate Member institution.
| Looking for things to do while you're in town? Check out... | | NNDC's Jair Soares on ibogaine treatment research | | |
Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently signed into law a bill that designates $50 million to funding ibogaine treatment research and clinical trials.
Proponents of ibogaine claim that it can be used to treat addiction and other neurological conditions. Although the drug is illegal in the U.S., studies of its use in other countries have found that ibogaine reduced other drug use and improved opioid withdrawal symptoms, according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Researchers at Stanford University found the drug also reduced the psychiatric symptoms of veterans with traumatic brain injuries, including depression, suicidality and post traumatic stress disorder.
The drug could potentially be a breakthrough for treating these conditions, said Dr. Jair Soares, a professor and chair of psychiatry at UTHealth.
“The treatments that we have for things like posttraumatic stress disorder or opiate dependence — the treatments aren’t great,” Soares said. “And if there is something out there right under our noses that could help that we haven’t seen, by all means, let's research it.”
| | Extended-release naltrexone versus oral naltrexone for substance use disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis | | |
Substance use disorders (SUDs) represent a public health challenge with a significant impact on individuals, families, and communities. Individuals with SUDs often experience physical or mental health challenges, along with clinically significant functional impairment (Volkow and Blanco, 2023). In the United States (US) alone, the economic impact of SUDs is substantial, with costs associated with healthcare, criminal justice involvement, and lost productivity reaching hundreds of billions of dollars annually (Sacks et al., 2015).
According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 48.7 million people aged 12 and older (17.3 %) had a SUD in the past 12 months (SAMHSA, 2022). Less than one-quarter (24.0 % or 13.1 million individuals) of those aged 12 and older who identified as requiring substance use treatment in the past year actually received it (SAMHSA, 2022). As a result, a substantial number of individuals remain untreated.
Highlights:
- 15 studies comparing oral vs. extended-release NTX for SUD Treatment.
- Aimed to assess all SUDs but found data only on AUD and OUD.
- XR-NTX showed higher persistence at 3 and 6 months than oral NTX.
- Hospital admissions and ED visits were similar for both treatments.
- Despite higher XR-NTX drug costs, overall treatment costs were similar.
Read more here
| | Considerations in the development of learning health networks for mood disorders | | |
Learning Health Networks (LHNs), such as the one described in Savitz et al. (in press), involve employing a network of treatment centers to produce standardized data from routine clinical practice, produce knowledge from that data, and systematically use that knowledge to inform care. To date, there are limited examples of LHNs in psychiatry. It is essential to establish robust dialogue around best practices for building LHNs to advance precision medicine in psychiatry.
A task group consensus on key elements of LHNs as applied to mood disorders was convened. Task group members reviewed current literature and ongoing LHN network efforts and evaluated opportunities and gaps within psychiatry broadly, and mood disorders specifically.
Read more here
| | Register Now: 6th Annual Workplace Mental Health Conference | | |
The University of Michigan Eisenberg Family Depression Center’s sixth annual Workplace Mental Health Conference returns August 6, 2025 from 12:30 - 5:00 p.m.
The modern-day workplace has evolved to place well-being front and center. Increasingly, employers are finding that creating a supportive culture improves organizational morale, lowers costs and increases productivity.
The sixth annual Workplace Mental Health Conference is a virtual half-day event that will address critical aspects of employee mental health that every workplace should know, and feature presentations on innovative programs and evidence-based practices that show current trends in workplace mental health. Our lineup of speakers will show you ways to address stressors inside and outside of your workplace to improve employee mental health. SHRM PDCs are available.
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Join us for the 2025 Best Practices for Mood Disorders with Mayo Clinic
The National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC) Best Practices for Mood Disorders in Collaboration with Mayo Clinic 2025 course is aimed at providing clinically relevant updates for the management of mood disorders and associated comorbidities across the lifespan. Topics include updates and clinical pearls on treatment-resistant depression and bipolar disorder, new and novel treatments for depression, and referral criteria for ketamine, TMS, ECT, and psychedelic therapy.
The NNDC faculty are leaders in the field and active clinicians [psychiatrists, child psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and advanced practice providers (APRN, CNP, DNP, PA-C)], informed by new research, and committed to meet the mission of NNDC: to use the power of our network to advance scientific discovery, and to provide stigma-free, evidence-based care to patients with depressive and bipolar illnesses.
Learn more and register here!
| | International Bipolar Foundation | Bipolar Disorder + GLP-1s | |
Medications, such as mood stabilizers and antipsychotics, are used to regulate neurotransmitter activity and stabilize brain function. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) mimic a natural hormone, primarily used for type 2 diabetes by regulating blood sugar and appetite and are increasingly used for weight loss by slowing gastric emptying and increasing fullness (Catanese, 2024).
However, understanding the connection between bipolar disorder and GLP-1s is essential, as these medications can potentially trigger or heighten mood changes, especially in vulnerable individuals. Given that clinical trials often exclude those with mood disorders, heightened awareness and monitoring are crucial when prescribing GLP-1s to individuals with bipolar disorder — it's necessary to educate both medical professionals and patients regarding potential effects.
Read more from the International Bipolar Foundation
| mindbodygreen | Drew Ramsey, MD | |
mindbodygreen | The 9 pillars for a happier, healthier mind
“Simple movements, taking care of your mental health, and building deeper connections— those are drivers of longevity,” explains Drew Ramsey, M.D.
Drew Ramsey, M.D., board-certified psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and author, joins us today to explain how all of us can take simple and actionable steps to improve our mental health, including the importance of dreams, adding in more movement.
Including:
- The drivers of the mental health epidemic
- Exercise & BDNF
- The 9 tenets for better mental health
- Cannabis & psychedelics
- The importance of sleep & dreams
- And much more!
Listen here
| Soul Boom | Steve from Blue's Clues on Depression | |
Steve Burns (original host of Blue’s Clues, musician and writer) joins Rainn Wilson (Emmy-nominated actor, producer, director and podcaster best known as Dwight from The Office) to unpack the surprising emotional and spiritual journey behind one of the most iconic figures in children’s TV.
Steve opens up about facing depression at the peak of his fame, the haunting internet rumor that he had died, and the healing power of solitude, music, and deep listening. He discusses what it means to live with grace, redefine masculinity, and reconnect with the soul through nature, creativity, and community.
Listen here
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