clinical key question- should we be prescribing medication for depression? Flashcards
what percentage of people in the Uk aged 16+ showed symptoms of depression? (ao1)
19.7%
why do we need to know if medication for depression is effective? (ao1)
- costs the NHS money
- don’t want to give people medication if unnecessary
- don’t want to give unnecessary side-effects
how do patients get access to psychoactive drugs? (ao1)
prescribed by psychiatrist/doctor and monitored
how are drugs tailored to the patient’s needs? (ao1)
psychiatrists will adjust dosage to fit with the patient
what is an alternative treatment to drugs? (ao1)
CBT
what are problems with prescribing rugs? (3) (ao1)
- socially controlling/depowering/stigmatised
- drug treatment might not be long-lasting
- side-effects can be serious- cause attrition/ non-adherence
what neurotransmitter has been linked to symptoms of depression?(ao2)
serotonin
what symptoms of depression do low levels of serotonin cause? (2) (ao2)
- low mood
- high anxiety
what other monoamines do serotonin influence? (2) (ao2)
- noradrenaline
- dopamine
what biological process is linked to the cause of Depression? (ao2)
monoamine oxidase
what do SSRI’s do? (ao2)
-stop the reuptake of Serotonin to the presynaptic bulb- more in synapse
what do MAOI’s do? (ao2)
-stop monoamine oxidase from doing its job-doesn’t break own monoamines-increases level
what does the cognitive explanation of depression suggest the cause of depression is? how does that support CBT treatment? (ao2)
faulty thinking process
-CBT changes maladaptive thoughts to adaptive thoughts-treating depression
what did Geddes et al find? (ao3)
using rugs has a relapse rate of 18% compared to 41% in placebo group
what did the royal college find? (ao3)
50-65% treated with antidepressants showed improvement compared to only 25-30% treated with placebo
