Prescription and Nonprescription Medications and Therapies for the Treatment of Depression
Today, depression is among the most commonly diagnosed mental conditions in the United States affecting a majority of the population at some point in their lives (Depression overview, 2017) and the World Health Organization has projected that the disorder will become the leading cause of chronic illnesses in affluent countries by 2030 (Richards & Richardson, 2016). Although the precise etiology of depression remains unclear, the research to date indicates that the disorder is the result of a combination of biological, environmental, psychological and perhaps even genetic factors (Depression overview, 2017). Fortunately, there are a number of efficacious pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions that are available for treating depression and most sufferers manage to overcome the debilitating effects of the condition to resume their normal lives. To gain some new insights into this disorder, this paper provides a systematic analysis of the recent peer-reviewed literature concerning the treatment of depression using prescribe and nonprescription medications and therapies and the fundamental importance of monitoring and identifying significant adverse effects and drug-drug interactions. In addition, a discussion concerning the desired outcomes of pharmacological agents that are used to treat depression is followed by a description of an appropriate pharmaceutical...
Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning the use of prescription and nonprescription drugs in the treatment of depression are provided in the conclusion.
Prescription and nonprescription medications/therapies for the treatment of depression
Given the enormous human and economic toll that is exacted by depression, it is little wonder that an enormous amount of research has been directed at identifying prescription and nonprescription medications and therapies for its treatment. Some of the more common prescription drugs that are used to treat depression today include various tricyclic antidepressants such as nortriptyline, and desipramine and amitriptyline (Maletic & DeMuri, 2016). These prescription drugs are low cost, generally well tolerated by patients and their use is supported by a growing body of evidence concerning their efficacy in treating depression (Maletic & DeMuri, 2016). Likewise, over-the-counter selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been used in recent years to treat depression with positive results, but there remains a dearth of timely and relevant studies concerning their efficacy and safety for long-term use (Williams & Know, 2017).
Besides the foregoing pharmacological regimens, some type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is also commonly used for the treatment of depression. According to Warren…
