Recent Advances and Challenges in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

Dr. Yong-Ku Kim is a professor of Psychiatry at College of Medicine, Korea University. He received a MD degree from College of Medicine, Korea University in 1987 and a PhD in psychiatry from Korea University in 1998. Dr. Kim has been affiliated with Korea University since 1998, first as an assistant professor (1998–2000), then as associated professor (2001–2005), and professor (2006–present). For the past 30 years, his professional activities have extended beyond the area of pure clinical or research work. Dr. Kim has well over 500 publications in peer-reviewed international journals, and 20 publications of book and have made over 100 academic presentations in his area of interest. Dr. Kim is a fellow of Collogicum Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum, International Society for Affective Disorders, World Federation of the Society of biological Psychiatry. He currently sits on the editorial boards of some leading academic journals in the field of neurobiology. His work has been recognized by several prestigious awards, including Astrageneca Award, Research Award from Korean Society of Neuropsychiatry, and Dr. Paul Janssen Schizophrenia Research Award. Dr. Kim is the past president of Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry (2016–2018) and the chairman of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association (2023-present).

• Part I. Molecular Biology-based Treatment for Depression.- Chapter 1.  Neuroendocrinological Treatment Targets for Depressive Disorder.- Chapter 2. Psychophamacological Approaches for Neural Plasticity and Neurogenesis in Major Depressive Disorder.- Chapter 3. Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability of Psychedelics in Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD).- Chapter 4. Probiotics and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Major Depression: Doxa or Episteme?.- Chapter 5. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC) Technology for Major Depression.- Chapter 6. Combining Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) with Conventional Treatments for Major Depressive Disorder.- Part II. Brain Network-based Treatments for Depression.- Chapter 7.  Application of Transcranial Direct and Alternating Current Stimulation (tDCS & tACS) on Major Depressive Disorder.- Chapter 8.  Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in Major Depression.- Chapter 9. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in Treatment-resistant Depression (TRD): Hope and Concern.- Chapter 10. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) in Major Depression: Oldie but Goodie.- Part III. Psychological Intervention based Treatments for Depression.- Chapter 11. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Depressive Disorders: Enhancing Access and Tailoring Interventions in Diverse Settings.- Chapter 12. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: Navigating Depression Treatment in Traditional and Digital Settings with Insights from Current Research.- Chapter 13.  The Importance of Psychotherapy for Treatment Resistant Depression.- Chapter 14. Personalized Well-Being Therapy (WBT) for Major Depression.- Part IV. Digital Psychiatry based Treatments for Depression.- Chapter 15. The Potential and Challenges of Virtual Reality as an Adjunctive Treatment of Depression Patients.- Chapter 16. The New Emerging Treatment Choice for Major Depressive Disorders: Digital Therapeutics.- Chapter 17. Telepsychiatry in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorders.- Part V. Personalized Precision Treatments for Depression.- Chapter 18. Precision Medicine in Depression: The Role of Proteomics and Metabolomics in Personalized Treatment Approaches.- Chapter 19. Biomarker Guided Tailored Therapy in Major Depression.- Chapter 20.  Navigating the Intersection of Technology and Depression Precision Medicine.