PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: A MEANS TO TREAT DEPRESSION

Course overview

This course is based upon material published in the International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences and is available as an open access article. This literature review will examine antidepressants as a treatment of depression. The aim of this article is to also discuss the uses of various pharmaceutical treatments that may not typically be used to treat depression. The review will describe how antidepressants influence the chemical structure of the brain to alleviate depression, their overall effects on the individual, and an analysis of their effectiveness as a treatment. There are several types of antidepressant medications prescribed to patients, this article evaluates the four categories these drugs belong to. The four categories of antidepressant medications are: monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs). In conclusion, by understanding the brain and the affects depression has on it, medical practitioners and psychologist can better treat their clients with contemporary and alternative treatments. This course on psychopharmacology is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their understanding of depression. The course material includes a brief literature review. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article which includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A major benefit of reading research based articles for continuing education is they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field.