1. PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

2.  Developed in the 1960s  Monoamine-oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)  Increase the amount of Noradrenaline (Norepinephrine) in the synapse  By inhibiting the action of Monoamines (enzymes which break Noradrenaline down)

3.  MAOIs are effective  BUT  Have unwanted side-effects  Even life threatening  Certain foods react adversely with the drug.  Usually only prescribed when other meds have proved ineffective.

4. TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANTS  Raise levels of serotonin and Noradrenaline in the brain.  Block the re- uptake of Noradrenaline. MORE NORADRENALINE AVAILABLE IN THE SYNAPSE

5. TRICYCLICS  Shown to be quite effective and have fewer side-effects than MAOIs. BUT  Do not focus on Noradrenaline only.  They block the reuptake of Serotonin as well.

6. SSRI DRUGS  Focus on serotonin  And block its re-uptake.  E.g. Prozac EVALUATION  Originally thought to be free from side-effects and prescribed liberally.  Doubts raised concerning suicide  But this could be due to a very depressed person beginning to get better and more motivated to act on suicidal thoughts.

7.  All drugs have potential side-effects.  Some work for one person and not for another.  Some cause drowsiness  Some are lethal if overdosed on.  This makes them unsuitable if a person is potentially suicidal.

8.  Drug therapies (particularly tricyclics and MAOIs have an almost immediate effect on neurotransmitter levels in the brain.  However, symptoms of low mood do not lift for a few weeks.  This raises questions about the causal link between low levels of neurotransmitters and depression.

9.  Difficult to assess.  Medication seems to be more effective than placebos (Thase and Kupfer, 1996).  However, depression incorporates a wide range of symptoms which may respond differently to different treatments.

10.  Symptoms often return when drugs are no longer taken.  Drugs have to be taken for some time after the patient has shown improvement.  This is known as ‘maintenance therapy’ and significantly reduces the risk of relapse.  Furthermore, it is difficult to assess whether a person is cured or not.

11.  Faulty logic suggests that because a particular drug provides relief from symptoms and raises the levels of a particular chemical in the brain, it must be the lack of that particular chemical that is the underlying cause.