Antidepressant Case Studies

Depression is one of the most recurrently investigated psychological disorders within the area of medical R&D (Montorio & Izal, 1996). A number of exhaustive researches have been carried out to study its symptoms and impacts on different patients belonging to different personal and professional attributes and most of these researchers depicted that depression in the elderly people is very frequent and in spite of number of researches in this context, it is often undiagnosed or untreated. To add to this jeopardy, it has also been estimated that only 10% out of the total depressed elderly individuals receive proper diagnosis and treatment (Holroyd et al, 2000). And for that reason, an authentic

Globally, major depressive disorder (MDD) is among the top five public health concerns today (Cuijpers et al., 2011; Jakobsen, Hansen, Simonsen, & Gluud, 2011; Hees, Rotter, Ellermann, & Evers, 2013). Moreover, almost 20% of patients with depression engage in self-harming behaviors, including suicidal attempts (Gamble et al., 2013; Jakobsen et al., 2011). Not only is the prevalence of depression alarming, but costly to the health care system (Cuijpers et al., 2011; Cuijpers et al., 2014; Hees et al., 2013; Jakobsen et al., 2011). The use of antidepressants is the standard for initial treatment, but may be limiting in preventing relapse (Cuijpers et al., 2014; Jakobsen et al., 2011). Therefore, the inclusion of non-pharmacological interventions may be necessary to improve treatment outcomes (Cuijpers et al., 2011; Dekker et al., 2013; Jakobsen et al., 2011). Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) are the two primary psychotherapeutic interventions recommended in the treatment of depression. In this paper, I will discuss the difference between CBT and IPT, compare the effectiveness between both therapies, explore their efficacy as an adjunct treatment with antidepressant medications, and summarize the treatment guidelines for depression.

Thus far, I have learned about the pros and cons to using medication in treatment with clients. In addition, I have seen first hand the benefits of implementing medications in client’s treatment plan. From my understanding, Depression is one of the most prevalent illnesses in the world. Because of this fact it is important that we understand and explore all the implications surrounding the use and efficacy for treatment. In order to treat our clients with the best care possible, we as therapist should be educated on the types of medications for depression, the impact they have on the body, and their efficacy of improving symptoms and overall functioning. In this paper I will explore three articles about antidepressants and their efficacy for treating clients with depression. In addition, I will provide my overall reaction to the studies and the material provided for the efficacy of antidepressants for treating depression.

This paper will focus on depressive disorders, and it will describe what they are, how they manifest themselves, what causes them and/or what makes certain individuals susceptible to the disorder as compared to others. This piece will also describe the most common treatment practices, and the effectiveness of these treatments. It will conclude by offering some testimonials from individuals who suffer from depressive disorders as well as some additional commentary about depressive disorders and their implications/challenges.

The use of prescription drugs has become prevalent in our society for treating mental illness. Television commercial breaks are inundated with ads for prescription medication. If a person seeking help visits a psychiatrist’s office to get help for depression, anxiety, or ADHD, they are likely to get a quick swipe of a pen on a little white prescription pad and be sent on their way. While prescriptions can reduce or eliminate the symptoms of mental illness, they cannot cure the underlying source of the problem. This has been found to be the case for depression. “The effectiveness of antidepressants is being called into question more and more, while the research behind the value of behavioral interventions is growing. A study suggested that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was as effective in preventing relapse in chronic depression as antidepressants” (Walton). Using medication by itself may give people the relief they need in the short-run, but therapy can have lasting results that will improve the person’s quality of life in lasting ways.

Lastly, what effects to antidepressants have on mood, behavior, and suicidal tendencies? In her article, ‘The Hidden Harm of Antidepressants’, Diana Kwon, a science writer with a Master’s degree for McGill University in neuroscience, she reviews several studies about the use of antidepressants, and had found the safety data on some of these drugs have been withheld from the public. She mentions research done in Copenhagen by some researchers at the Nordic Cochrane Center, and how they discovered that “pharmaceutical companies were not presenting the full extent of serious harm in clinical study reports…” (Kwon para 2). These clinical study reports are then used by people at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve or deny new

Americans are taking antidepressants at astounding numbers. The use of antidepressants in this country by adolescents and adults has increased by four hundred percent between 2005-2008. These pills sedate those with anxiety and depression disorders. The problem is that more Americans seem to become dependent on this pills. In Huxley’s Brave New World, the citizens are encourage almost required to take daily pill, Soma, for instant gratification. Similar to Huxley’s world, people in our world seem to become more dependent on psychological drugs such as antidepressants.

Depression is widespread public health concern of major significance. According to The World Health Organization (WHO) depression is within the top five leading causes of disability globally. The decline in the quality of life is accompanied with major distress and their capacity for social, interpersonal, and the physical role of functioning become debilitated in adults with this ailment. Many adults seeking help are disinclined to accept antidepressant medication to aid them in their recovery, or they simply are unable to tolerate the side effects of them. So, what other options do they have to aid them in their recovery?

In the study patients age 20 to 64 that is diagnosed with depression and on antidepressants was used to observe the possibility of antidepressants causing epilepsy. The data does show some links between antidepressant use and epilepsy, even though it is inconsistent and non-decisive.

Antidepressants are a type of medication that is used to treat people with the symptoms of depression. There are 30 different types of antidepressants available to give patients depending on their severity of depression.

Treatments using anti-depressants is well documented, but there are very few studies documenting only the use of psychotherapy. However, in one study done using the Cognitive–behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy (CBASP) as a maintenance treatment, the overall findings show that psychotherapy in itself can be successful. “ There were 82 patients who were treated with CBASP long term. Patients were chosen at random to reduce their treatment to monthly or to an observational status. The patients, only treated monthly with CBASP, showed a smaller amount of reoccurring symptoms then the patients in the observational status. These findings support the use of only CBASP as a maintenance treatment for depression.” (Klein, 2004)

This is an accurate representation of medication for depression. It does not make you want to live, it does not fix your thinking, it just makes you functional. It allows you to do things you wouldn’t usually be able to, and maybe after a while you will be able to function on your own.

Mental disorders are becoming more prevalent in today's society as people add stress and pressure to their daily lives. The elderly population is not eliminated as a candidate for a disorder just because they may be retired. In fact, mental disorders affect 1 in 5 elderly people. One would think that with disorders being rather prevalent in this age group that there would be an abundance of treatment programs, but this is not the case. Because the diagnosis of an individual's mental state is subjective in nature, many troubled people go untreated regularly (summer 1998). Depression in the elderly population is a common occurrence, yet the diagnosis and treatment seem to slip

As the literature remains inconclusive as to the relation between current major treatment modalities and depressive disorder, and given the extremities of the potential dangers of antidepressant medications, it is apparent that there is a need to develop new interventions, which show greater efficacy, safety, and acceptability.

Major depressive disorder affects nearly 15 million of American adults in a given year. (Kessler, Chiu, Demler & Walters, 2005). With the impact it has on the society as well as the well-being of the individual, it must be in the interest of the healthcare to be able to provide patients with the most effective treatment method. Extensive research has been conducted on the efficacy of antidepressant medication and cognitive therapy, the two main treatment methods used for depression today. The discussion has, however, been characterized by conflicting claims, resulting in a debate over what should be used rather than us having definite conclusion of how patients are best helped.