1. Drug therapy for treating depression
To explain how drugs work to treat depression and to evaluate this method

2. Starter
Recap last lesson

3. Application: the development of treatments
By learning about how depression works and what causes it, we are able to create therapies and medications to treat it.
Sometimes, treatments are discovered by accident, such as anti- psychotic medication. These were used at first as an anti-histamine, which decreased the body’s response to things that can cause an allergic reaction, and by accident they were found to reduce the symptoms of psychosis.
Other treatments are psychologically based and involve the client changing their perspective on their illness and how they react, such as with cognitive behavioural therapy for treating depression.

4. The use of anti-depressants to treat depression
This clip identifies the role of serotonin in depression – identify the role of serotonin. The clip then discusses how anti-depressants work: –
Answer the following questions while watching:
What do antidepressants do to levels of serotonin? What is the most commonly used antidepressant? What do they block?
What happens to the receiving neurons?
Why do they have less side effects?
What alternative treatments are there?

5. Drug therapy
The most commonly used biological therapy for depression is drug therapy.
This therapy assumes that there is a chemical imbalance in the brain
This can be corrected by drugs, which either increase or decrease the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain.

6. Drugs: The use of anti-depressants to treat depression
Some depressants may be offered drug therapy – antidepressants
These drugs work by raising the levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and noradrenaline which are thought to play a role in our mood
Anti-depressants work by increasing the number of neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin or noradrenaline, which can help people feel less depressed.
Anti-depressant medications such as SRRI’S work by preventing the serotonin being reabsorbed into the pre-synaptic neuron (this is where the serotonin is normally recycled to be used again).
This leads to a build-up of neurotransmitters in the synapse (the gap between the two neurons)
It is thought that the excess serotonin in the synapse helps the neurons communicate better, which in turn helps people feel less depressed.

7. Types of antidepressants
Not all drugs used to treat depression work in the same way
Some drugs are better for some patients
All have a slightly different effect

8. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
These block the reuptake of serotonin when it is released from a neuron
So serotonin can be available for longer
So there is more opportunity for other neurons to absorb it which should increase levels in the brain and improving mood

9. SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)
The standard medical treatment used to tackle the symptoms of depression are SSRIs
SSRIs work on increasing certain neurotransmitter in the brain by preventing the re-absorption of serotonin.
By preventing the re-absorption of serotonin, SSRIs effectively increase its levels in the synapse and thus continue to stimulate the post-synaptic neuron

10. Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Similar effect to SSRIs but they block the reuptake of both serotonin and noradrenaline
This helps to improve mood too

11. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Prevent the enzyme monoamine oxidase from doing its job properly
It breaks down serotonin and noradrenaline after they have been released from neurons but MAOIs make this more difficult to lift mood

12. Tricyclics (TCAs) Oldest drugs (1950s)
Boost the effect of serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain by preventing the reabsorption of these neurotransmitters into the neuron
Enhances mood

13. Strengths and weaknesses
Improve mood quickly
Helps them to access other psychological therapies
50-65% of patients show improvement compared to only 20% who had a placebo
Side effects
Treats the symptoms and not the cause

14. Create your own medication box
You have just started working for a large drugs company who has developed a new drug to treat depressions, they have asked you to design the box for marketing.
1) They are unsure what to call it and have asked for you to come up with a catchy name.
2) Design the box: make sure that you have a clear front cover, list of the kind of information you find on medication boxes.