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Treatments for Depression - Coggle Diagram
Treatments for Depression
Biological treatments: Drug Therapy
They work by increasing noradrenalin and serotonin in the brain and are often used in conjunction with other therapies aimed at treating the cause of the disorder.
Antidepressants are agonists and increase noradrenalin or serotonin by either blocking reuptake of the chemical or preventing the enzyme that breaks down the chemical in the synapse
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Often start by using SSRIs
Fewer negative side effects, and are less likely to lead to serious effects if overdosed
They work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin by blocking the transporter cells, this means that serotonin is left in the synapse to have greater effect for longer
Serotonin and norepinephrine reputake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Works by blocking the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine but there is no evidence that they are more effective.
Example is Dulozetine
Tricyclic Antidepressants
Block the reuptake of serotonin and noradrenaline so they remain in the synapse for longer and have a greater effect
Older medications - cause more side effects, that are more severe so therefore these are not often first choice
Monoamine exidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
may be prescribed as a last resort when other medications do not work as there can be severe side effects.
These work by stopping the enzymes that break down amine neurotransmitters in the synapse, thus making them available for longer.
Requires a strict diet because of dangerous interactions with foods that contain tyramine, such as cheese, pickles and wines
They are often used in combination with other forms of therapy; however they do mostly provide a relief of symptoms
The Royal College of Psychiatrists reported that 50 to 65 per cent of people with antidepressants showed improvement compared to only 25 to 30 per cent treated with the placebo
A longitudinal study in Holland found that 76% of depressed patients who did not take any antidepressant drugs recovered and never relapsed
Psychological Treatment : Cognitive behavioural therapy for depression
It is designed to achieve quick and lasting results with treatment consisting of weekly or fortnightly sessions lasting about an hour for a period of about three months (however, it depends on the nature of the depression)
Aaron Beck (1967)
Clients are encouraged to keep a daily mood diary to do exercises (homework) outside the sessions and then reflect and report back their effectiveness
They can be taught techniques, such as thought catching where they analyse events that have happened, and map the emotional response that follows the thought that was associated by the event.
This therapy does not have any side effects and is regarded as being more ethical
Elkin et al. (1989), found that it was marginally less effective than active drug treatment with clinical management, but as it is less invasive it might be more preferable to drugs
Embling (2002) indicated from the research that 'one size fits all' attitude to therapy is inadvisable as certain therapies work better for certain types of people