Endangered Species and Food

Prescription and Nonprescription Medications and Therapies for the Treatment of Depression
Today, depression is among the most commonly diagnosed mental conditions in the United States affecting a majority of the population at some point in their lives (Depression overview, 2017) and the World Health Organization has projected that the disorder will become the leading cause of chronic illnesses in affluent countries by 2030 (Richards & Richardson, 2016). Although the precise etiology of depression remains unclear, the research to date indicates that the disorder is the result of a combination of biological, environmental, psychological and perhaps even genetic factors (Depression overview, 2017). Fortunately, there are a number of efficacious pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions that are available for treating depression and most sufferers manage to overcome the debilitating effects of the condition to resume their normal lives. To gain some new insights into this disorder, this paper provides a systematic analysis of the recent peer-reviewed literature concerning the treatment of depression using prescribe and nonprescription medications and therapies and the fundamental importance of monitoring and identifying significant adverse effects and drug-drug interactions. In addition, a discussion concerning the desired outcomes of pharmacological agents that are used to treat depression is followed by a description of an appropriate pharmaceutical treatment plan for individuals suffering from depression. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning the use of prescription and nonprescription drugs in the treatment of depression are provided in the conclusion.
Prescription and nonprescription medications/therapies for the treatment of depression
Given the enormous human and economic toll that is exacted by depression, it is little wonder that an enormous amount of research has been directed at identifying prescription and nonprescription medications and therapies for its treatment. Some of the more common prescription drugs that are used to treat depression today include various tricyclic antidepressants such as nortriptyline, and desipramine and amitriptyline (Maletic & DeMuri, 2016). These prescription drugs are low cost, generally well tolerated by patients and their use is supported by a growing body of evidence concerning their efficacy in treating depression (Maletic & DeMuri, 2016). Likewise, over-the-counter selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been used in recent years to treat depression with positive results, but there remains a dearth of timely and relevant studies concerning their efficacy and safety for long-term use (Williams & Know, 2017).
Besides the foregoing pharmacological regimens, some type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is also commonly used for the treatment of depression. According to Warren (2014), “Dozens of randomized controlled trials (RCT) and other studies support CBT's efficacy in treating major depressive disorder” (p. 46). The research to date indicates that:
· CBT is more effective in producing remission when compared with no treatment, treatment as usual, or nonspecific psychotherapy;
· For mild to moderate depression, CBT is equivalent to antidepressant medication in terms of response and remission rates; and,
· Combining antidepressant therapy with CBT increases treatment adherence (Warren, 2014, p. 46).
Indeed, many clinicians have concluded that a combination of prescription and/or nonprescription drug and non-drug therapies are more effective than either used in isolation. In this regard, Khan and Faucett (2012) report that, “The combination of psychotherapy and antidepressants for depression may provide a slight advantage whereas antidepressants alone and psychotherapy alone are not significantly different from alternative therapies or active intervention controls” (p. 34).
Monitoring and identification of significant adverse effects and drug-drug interactions
Regardless of whether a non-pharmacological component is included in the treatment regimen or not, it is vitally important to ensure that any prescribed drugs and/or recommended over-the-counter drugs do not have the potential for adverse drug-drug interactions and that patients are monitored on an ongoing basis to identify significant adverse effects (Maletic & DeMuri, 2016).
Desired outcomes of the pharmacological agents used in the treatment of depression
The desired outcomes of any intervention for depression is to mitigate the disorder’s symptoms to allow patients to resume a normal and healthy lifestyle that is free of the debilitating effects of this disorder (Nasrallah, 2015).
Appropriate pharmaceutical treatment plan for depression
In those cases where clinicians determine that patients can benefit from pharmaceutical treatments, the key formulating a successful pharmacological treatment for depression is to begin with the lowest available dosages, evaluate the effectiveness of the prescribed and/or over-the-counter drugs at these levels and then make whatever changes in dosage that may be required in order to achieve optimal effects (Maletic & DeMuri, 2016).
Conclusion
The research showed that depression is virtually ubiquitous and most people can expect to experience at least one depressive episode at some point in their lives. The research also showed, though, that there are some efficacious treatments available for the disorder, including prescription and non-prescription drugs as well as therapeutic interventions that typically employ some type of cognitive behavioral therapy. In the final analysis, it is reasonable to conclude that researchers will continue their search for the most effective drugs and therapies for the treatment of depression but the harsh reality remains that many people will still suffer from this disorder in the future.


References
Depression overview. (2017). National Institutes of Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www. nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml.
Khan, A. & Faucett, J. (2012, July 30). A systematic review of comparative efficacy of treatments and controls for depression. PLoS ONE 7(7), 33-37.
Maletic, V. & DeMuri, B. (2016, March). Chronic pain and depression: Treatment of two culprits in common. Current Psychiatry, 15(3), 41-44.
Nasrallah, H. A. (2015, February). Ten recent paradigm shifts in the neurobiology and treatment of depression. Current Psychiatry, 14(2), 10-13.
Richards, D. & Richardson, T. (2016, September 1). Predictors of depression severity in a treatment-seeking sample. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 16(3), 221-225.
Warren, R. (2014, June). Using CBT effectively for treating depression and anxiety: Modify the elements of CBT to address specific anxiety disorders, patient factors. Current Psychiatry, 13(6), 45-49.
Williams, A. M. & Knox, E. D. (2017, January). When to prescribe antidepressants to treat comorbid depression and pain disorders. Current Psychiatry, 16(1), 55-59.