Sections
Antidepressants: Introduction | History | General Principles of Antidepressant Use | Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors | Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (Venlafaxine,
Desvenlafaxine, Duloxetine, and Milnacipran) | 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists
(Trazodone and Nefazodone) | Combined Noradrenergic-Dopaminergic Antidepressant
(Bupropion) | Mirtazapine | Tricyclic and Tetracyclic Antidepressants | Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors | Selective and Reversible Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors | Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors: Reboxetine and Atomoxetine | Melatonin Agonist–5-HT2C Antagonist | Gepirone | Novel Antidepressants | Bibliography
Excerpt
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention 2007 annual report "Health, United States," antidepressants
are the most commonly prescribed agents in all of medicine (National Center for Health Statistics 2007). The wisdom of such a
widespread use of this class of medications is debated in the literature
and the popular press. However, what is not debatable is that clinicians
have felt increasingly comfortable in prescribing these medications.
The growing popularity of antidepressants rests on a number of factors,
including their efficacy in the treatment of depression, broad spectrum
of activity, relative safety, and ease of use. Factors such as marketing
also have played a role in the widespread adoption of antidepressants
in clinical practice.