Antidepressants Overview

Antidepressants are psychiatric medications prescribed for the treatment of mood disorders including major depression and anxiety. The most common categories of antidepressants are monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Despite their wide-spread popularity, the use of antidepressants in the management and treatment of conditions continues to be scrutinized by experts, medical researchers, journalists and physicians alike as their efficacy is questionable.¹

1. Turner EH, Matthews AM, Linardatos E, Tell RA, Rosenthal R (January 2008). "Selective publication of antidepressant trials and its influence on apparent efficacy". N. Engl. J. Med. 358 (3): 252–60. doi:10.1056/NEJMsa065779. PMID 18199864.