Monday, June 20, 2005

The Symptoms, Neurobiology, and Current Pharmacological Treatment of Depression Journal of Neuroscience Nursing article at Medscape - "Depression as a medical disorder increasingly is being recognized and treated. The mood of an individual with major depression is often described as sad, hopeless, or discouraged, and there are many physical symptoms associated with depression. Pharmacologic treatments for depression have advanced greatly since the development of the first therapies, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Many medications, such as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), currently are available to help combat this health problem. Newer medications have eliminated many of the side effects associated with older therapies, and treatments in development are designed with the goal of further improving on efficacy while eliminating side effects..." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

AMA Council on Scientific Affairs Says Antidepressants Are Safe for Adolescents Reuters Health story at Medscape - "A new report from the American Medical Association's Council on Scientific Affairs (CSA) suggests that anti-depressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as fluoxetine (Prozac), are appropriate therapies for the treatment of depression in teenagers. Moreover, the CSA reports states that even off-label usage is justified if physicians use prudent clinical judgment. The CSA report, which was discussed at an AMA reference committee hearing Sunday, was immediately endorsed by delegates representing the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Academy of Pediatrics..." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Processes of Mental Health Service Use By Adolescents With Depression Journal of Nursing Scholarship study reprinted at Black Enterprise based on open-ended interviews with 52 young adults who were depressed as adolescents, four of their parents, and eight professionals who work with adolescents who are depressed, which concludes that "Mental health service use by adolescents with depression involved complex and fluid interactional processes among the depressed adolescents, their parents or caretakers, and mental health care providers. Strategies are needed to avoid creating the pitfalls that concern adolescents and their families."