Pharmaceutical Strategy for Mood Disorders
A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmacology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 22 September 2025 | Viewed by 69
Special Issue Editors
2. Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
Interests: psychiatry; mood disorders; bipolar disorders; childhood trauma; neuroimaging
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mood disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD), are leading causes of disability worldwide, significantly affecting quality of life and health outcomes. Despite advances in psychopharmacology, challenges persist due to limited efficacy, delayed therapeutic response, and adverse effects. Additionally, special populations—such as women in the peripartum period, adolescents, elderly patients, and individuals with medical comorbidities—require tailored pharmacological strategies to ensure both safety and effectiveness.
Traditional treatments rely on mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics, but recent research has expanded therapeutic options. Novel agents targeting glutamatergic pathways (e.g., ketamine and esketamine), neurosteroids, and inflammation-related mechanisms are gaining prominence. Precision medicine approaches, including pharmacogenetics and biomarker-driven strategies, hold promise for optimizing drug selection, minimizing adverse effects, and enhancing treatment outcomes.
This Special Issue will explore key aspects of pharmaceutical strategies for mood disorders, including:
- Novel pharmacological targets and mechanisms;
- Personalized pharmacotherapy in special populations;
- Inflammation and neuroimmune interactions;
- Gut–brain axis and microbiome-based interventions;
- Polypharmacy and augmentation strategies;
- Pharmacogenetic and biomarker-driven treatment approaches;
- Clinical factors that optimize treatment response (e.g., adherence, metabolism, and lifestyle);
- Psychopathological dimensions associated with treatment beyond symptom reduction, including cognition and quality of life.
By integrating cutting-edge research, this Special Issue aims to advance pharmaceutical strategies for mood disorders, promoting more effective, individualized, and tolerable treatment approaches across diverse patient populations.
Dr. Delfina Janiri
Dr. Alexia Koukopoulos
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- mood disorders
- pharmacotherapy
- pharmacological targets
- gut–brain axis
- microbiome-based interventions
- biomarker-driven treatment optimize treatment response
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
