Antidepressant
Class of medication used to treat depression and other conditions / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Antidepressants are a class of medications used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain, and addiction.[1]
Antidepressant | |
---|---|
Drug class | |
Class identifiers | |
Use | Depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, chronic pain, and addiction |
ATC code | N06A |
Mechanism of action | Varies |
Chemical class | Varies |
Clinical data | |
Drugs.com | Drug Classes |
Consumer Reports | Best Buy Drugs |
WebMD | MedicineNet RxList |
External links | |
MeSH | D000928 |
Legal status | |
In Wikidata |
Common side effects of antidepressants include dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, headaches, akathisia,[2] sexual dysfunction,[3][4][5][6][7] and emotional blunting.[8][9][10] There is an increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior when taken by children, adolescents, and young adults.[11] Discontinuation syndrome, which resembles recurrent depression in the case of the SSRI class, may occur after stopping the intake of any antidepressant, having effects which may be permanent and irreversible.[12][13]
Research regarding the effectiveness of antidepressants for depression in adults is controversial and has found both benefits[14] and drawbacks.[15] Meanwhile, evidence of benefit in children and adolescents is unclear,[16][17] even though antidepressant use has considerably increased in children and adolescents in the 2000s.[18] While a 2018 study found that the 21 most commonly prescribed antidepressant medications were slightly more effective than placebos for the short-term (acute) treatments of adults with major depressive disorder,[19][20] other research has found that the placebo effect may account for most or all of the drugs' observed efficacy.[21][22]
Research on the effectiveness of antidepressants is generally done on people who have severe symptoms,[23] a population that exhibits much weaker placebo responses,[24] meaning that the results may not be extrapolated to the general population that has not (or has not yet) been diagnosed with anxiety or depression.[20]