The largest annual rise in prescriptions was seen in antidepressants according to figures published this week by the NHS Information Centre. 46.7 million prescriptions for antidepressants were dispensed in 2011, a rise of 3.9 million on 2010. This equates to a rise of 9.1% in the 12 month period, which is similar to that seen [read the full story…]
Citalopram (brand names: Cipramil and Celexa) is an antidepressant drug in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. It was one of the first SSRIs to come onto the market over 20 years ago and is available as tablets and as oral drops that are taken in a juice drink. There are lots of antidepressants [read the full story…]
I don’t normally blog about non-English language publications, but this new evidence-based guideline from the Dutch College of General Practitioners caught my eye yesterday. The guidance says that antidepressants should only be given as a first line treatment to people with severe depression and that those who only have depressive symptoms should be given a [read the full story…]
The majority of studies about depression measure outcomes using a scale such as the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (PDF), which is a questionnaire that patients complete with a health professional. This new randomised controlled trial by researchers from the Arkin Institute for Mental Health in Amsterdam uses the Hamilton Depression Scale, but is also measures social [read the full story…]
Depression is at least three times as common in patients with cancer compared to the rest of the population. Studies show that major depression occurs in 16% of cancer patients, with combined minor depression and dysthymia reported in 22% of people with cancer. Depression also appears to be more prevalent amongst people with certain cancers (pancreatic, [read the full story…]
People who take psychiatric drugs are well aware of the daily trade-off between the benefits and the harms of their medication. This is a key consideration for pregnant women with depression, who don’t just have to consider the side effects that may strike them, but also the impact they may have on their unborn child. [read the full story…]
Young people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are usually given some kind of behavioural or educational intervention to help improve their overall functioning. However, in some cases, those individuals who have high levels of repetitive, obsessive-compulsive type behaviours and mood disorders are treated with drug interventions, although there is little high quality evidence to support [read the full story…]
Observational studies (Vergouwen et al) have reported alarmingly high discontinuation rates for patients taking antidepressant medication (28% at 1 month and 44-52% at 3 months). One group of health professionals who can potentially have a major impact on this issue are pharmacists. This new systematic review conducted by researchers from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, set [read the full story…]
In 2004 the US Food and Drug Administration published a “black box” warning that highlighted an increased risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts in young people who were taking antidepressants. This warning was updated in 2007. A new analysis of 41 randomised controlled trials has been published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, which suggests [read the full story…]
There’s an interesting review in the British Journal of Psychiatry this week, which compares the effectiveness of psychiatric drugs with those used to treat physical health problems. The headline from the review is that ‘psychiatric drugs are as effective as other drugs’. Professor Stefan Leucht who led the review team claims that: There is a [read the full story…]
