Depression: Drugs

Question 1

AO1

Answer 1

Drug treatment use psychoactive drugs that change the balence of NT in the brain
Eg. Anti-depressants increase levels of monoamine including S
Psychiatrists will adjust the quantity of a drug so it is tailored to level needed
Psychoactive drugs treating mental disorders are available on prescription and patients will be monitored to ensure they are responding to drugs
Several different drugs to treat same disorder (need to take several different ones to find best)

Question 2

AO1: SSRIs

Answer 2

Stop the reuptake of S to the presynaptic bulb

Means more in the synapse

Question 3

AO1: MAOIs

Answer 3

Stops MAO from doing its job which means it doesn’t break down the monoamines and numbers increase

Question 4

+AO3

Answer 4

Drugs act relatively quickly allowing stabilisation of the patients condition during the acute phase
Drug treatment allows patient to return to function effectively daily

Question 5

+Jarret et al (1999)

Answer 5

Found that MAOIs were more effective than tricyclic for treating severe depression but they have a toxic effect if combined with other drugs and certain foods and drinks

Question 6

+Nulman et al (1997)

Answer 6

Showed no deleterious effects on cognitive or language functions in children whose mothers had undergone drug treatment for depression during pregnancy

Question 7

+The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Answer 7

Reported 50-65% of people treated with Antidepressants showed improvements compared to only 25-30% of those treated with a placebo
This also shows that the drugs aren’t effective for substantial minority (ECT required for some)

Question 8

-AO3

Answer 8

Side effects
Long term compliance to regiment is low
Not instantaneous (should be quicker if it was only NT)
Can be reffered to as chemical straightjacket
Many don’t respond to treatment
Can’t cure disorder
Alternative treatments such as CBT are effective and don’t have side effects and last longer

Question 9

-Muller (2013)

Answer 9

Cites a study done in Netherlands found that 76% of those didn’t receive treatment still recovered did not relapse

Question 10

-Rausch et al (2002)

Answer 10

Showed the success of SSRI treatment is dependant on the suffers genes, suggesting another aspect to the biological substrate.