The most prevalent mental health disorder not only in the United Kingdom but everywhere around the world is depression, the most common treatments for depression are anti-depressant drugs. These drugs, the most prescribed medication being selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), primarily target monoamine deficiencies. Such anti-depressant drugs are reasonably effective in cases of moderate to severe depression. However, there is little difference between drug and placebo responses in cases of mild depression, suggesting that other mechanisms need to be addressed. This essay will consider the monoamine and neurotrophic hypotheses and how effective antidepressant drugs are in treating depressive symptoms.
Researchers became interested in monoamines in the early 1950’s when it was noticed that severe depression symptoms appeared in around 20% of patients who were treated with the drug reserpine, used at the time to control high blood pressure. Researchers found that reserpine depleted neurotransmitters called monoamines which include serotonin, noradrenalin and dopamine by preventing them being taken up into vesicles, leaving them vulnerable to being broken down in the cell. It was also noticed at the same time that tuberculosis patients prescribed the drug isoniazid experienced a lifting of …show more content…
This hypothesis exemplifies the biomedical model if depression is caused by a simple depletion of monoamines, it is tempting to think that drugs can raise the levels of monoamines in the brain can cure depression. However, this hypothesis does not account for the effectiveness of antidepressants in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and does not explain why drugs such as Prozac that increase serotonin reuptake are effective
Researchers became interested in monoamines in the early 1950’s when it was noticed that severe depression symptoms appeared in around 20% of patients who were treated with the drug reserpine, used at the time to control high blood pressure. Researchers found that reserpine depleted neurotransmitters called monoamines which include serotonin, noradrenalin and dopamine by preventing them being taken up into vesicles, leaving them vulnerable to being broken down in the cell. It was also noticed at the same time that tuberculosis patients prescribed the drug isoniazid experienced a lifting of …show more content…
This hypothesis exemplifies the biomedical model if depression is caused by a simple depletion of monoamines, it is tempting to think that drugs can raise the levels of monoamines in the brain can cure depression. However, this hypothesis does not account for the effectiveness of antidepressants in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and does not explain why drugs such as Prozac that increase serotonin reuptake are effective