Abstract
This chapter reviews the main drugs used in the treatment of unipolar depressive disorders. At the outset it should be noted that the term 'antidepressant' is problematic given that drugs traditionally regarded as 'antidepressants' are effective in treating psychiatric syndromes other than depression, most notably various anxiety disorders. Furthermore, some drugs not traditionally classified as 'antidepressants' are effective in treating depression either in monotherapy or as adjunctive agents to antidepressants. Examples of the former include lamotrigine and quetiapine, which have efficacy in treating bipolar depression, and lithium and some antipsychotics which are effective in augmenting the efficacy of reuptake inhibiting antidepressants in major depressive disorder. Despite these issues, the term 'antidepressant' is widely used and is likely to remain so.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Seminars in Clinical Psychopharmacology |
| Subtitle of host publication | Third Edition |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Pages | 227-267 |
| Number of pages | 41 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781911623465 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781911623458 |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Jun 2020 |