ABSTRACT
This chapter is useful for therapists to have an understanding of the major drug treatments for depression in order to support their clients. Despite its relatively poor performance for subclinical and mild forms of depression and the preference for psychotherapy for such cases, antidepressants are commonly prescribed for people at this milder end of the depressive spectrum. Most antidepressants are believed to work by preventing the reuptake of certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and noradrenaline, although these theories are incomplete, and all the mechanisms are not properly understood at present. Although benzodiazepines are not used in the treatment of depression, they are included here as therapists may encounter clients who are taking them for other problems. Whilst primarily used in the treatment of psychotic states, low-dose antipsychotics are also sometimes prescribed by psychiatrists in addition to antidepressants for the treatment of severe depression. It is sometimes prescribed together with an antidepressant for severe depression, psychosis or bipolar disorder.
