Antidepressants in use in clinical practice.

The object of this paper, rather than producing new information, is to produce a useful vademecum for doctors prescribing antidepressants, with the information useful for their being prescribed. Antidepressants need to be seen as part of a package of treatment for the patient with depression which also includes psychological treatments and social interventions. Here the main Antidepressant groups, including the Selective Serotonin uptake inhibiters, the tricyclics and other classes are described, together with their mode of action, side effects, dosages. Usually antidepressants should be prescribed for six months to treat a patient with depression. The efficacy of anti-depressants is similar between classes, despite their different mechanisms of action. The choice is therefore based on the side-effects to be avoided. There is no one ideal drug capable of exerting its therapeutic effects without any adverse effects. Increasing knowledge of what exactly causes depression will enable researchers not only to create more effective antidepressants rationally but also to understand the limitations of existing drugs.