Antidepressants can hurt and might not help. Despite being widely prescribed and used, there are serious questions about the effectiveness of SSRIs in treating the most common forms of depression. Explore this section to learn about the history and effectiveness of SSRIs and other types of antidepressants, FDA approval and the risks associated with the drugs, including bone loss and sleep problems, some of which may be permanent.
What do the experts say?
Listen to a health psychologist, a clinical psychologist, a psychiatrist and a family physician discuss the mechanism of antidepressants and how effective they are for treating depression. <<Watch the video>>
Prescribing antidepressants
According to the CDC, antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed drug in the U.S.–118 million prescriptions in 2005. About 11 percent of women and 5 percent of men currently use antidepressants. Where do they get them? <<Read more>>
Effectiveness of SSRIs
Antidepressant use nearly tripled between 1988 to 1994 and 1999 to 2000, according to the CDC. The large majority of these are SSRIs, but recent studies suggest they are not anymore effective than placebo (dummy) treatment. <<Read more>>
Risks and side effects
While the specific cause of depression is not well understood, most researchers think that brain chemistry has something to do with it. Antidepressants work by altering the balance of certain chemicals in the brain, but with that come some risks and side effects that you should know about. <<Read more>>
What does the FDA say?
The FDA approves drugs, such as antidepressants and specifically SSRIs, to treat specific health conditions that are recognized and diagnosed. However, many people who take antidepressants have never been diagnosed with depression–their main tested and approved use. <<Read more>>
Types of antidepressants
About 62 percent of antidepressant prescriptions in the U.S. are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are the newest class of antidepressants. The other major classes are monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and tricyclics. Learn more about how these drugs work and the risks associated with them.
History of antidepressants
Before the boom of psychopharmacology in the 1950s, the treatments for mood disorders were relatively limited and crude, including shock treatment, insulin coma therapy, and sleep-deprivation therapy. Now there are dozens of antipsychotics on the market to treat depression. <<Read more>>
The bone loss connection
Susan Diem, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, discusses her study of the association between antidepressant use and bone loss. <<Watch the interview>>
The sleep connection
Dr. Mark Mahowald notes some unusual and disturbing side effects in sleep caused by antidepressants, some temporary and some permanent. <<Watch the interview>>
