An antidepressant is a psychiatric medication used to alleviate mood disorders, such as major depression and dysthymia and anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder. According to Gelder, Mayou &*Geddes (2005) people with a depressive illness will experience a therapeutic effect to their mood; however, this will not be experienced in healthy individuals. Drugs including the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are most commonly associated with the term. These medications are among those most …

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of antidepressants considered the current standard of drug treatment. A possible cause of depression is an inadequate amount of serotonin, a chemical used in the brain to transmit signals between neurons. SSRIs are said to work by preventing the reuptake of serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) by the presynaptic neuron, thus maintaining higher levels of 5-HT in the synapse. Chemists Klaus Schmiegel and Bryan Molloy of Eli Lilly discovered the first SSRI, fluoxetine. This class of drugs …

FDA Drug Safety Communication: Serious CNS reactions possible when methylene blue is given to patients taking certain psychiatric medications
Safety Announcement
[07-26-2011] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports of serious central nervous system (CNS) reactions when the drug methylene blue is given to patients taking psychiatric medications that work through the serotonin system of the brain (serotonergic psychiatric medications). Methylene blue is commonly used in diagnostic procedures and is also used to treat a number of medical conditions (see Facts about methylene blue box). A list of the …

European Commission Approves XEPLION® for Treatment of Schizophrenia
Beerse, Belgium (March 9, 2011) — Janssen-Cilag International NV today announced that XEPLION® (paliperidone palmitate), a once monthly, long-acting injectable, antipsychotic, has received approval from the European Commission for the treatment of schizophrenia.
 Schizophrenia is relatively common and the prevalence is similar around the world. The lifetime risk for schizophrenia is estimated to be one person in 100, and appears to be the same for men and women up to age 60 years.[1] Schizophrenia is a devastating mental illness for both the patients and …

Abilify® Medication Guide
Generic name: aripiprazole
Read this Medication Guide before you start taking ABILIFY and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This Medication Guide does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment.
What is the most important information I should know about ABILIFY (aripiprazole)?
(For other side effects, also see “What are the possible side effects of ABILIFY?”).
Serious side effects may happen when you take ABILIFY, including:
• Increased risk of death in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis: Medicines like …

What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy, or “talk therapy,” is a way to treat people with a mental disorder by helping them understand their illness. It teaches people strategies and gives them tools to deal with stress and unhealthy thoughts and behaviors. Psychotherapy helps patients manage their symptoms better and function at their best in everyday life.
Sometimes psychotherapy alone may be the best treatment for a person, depending on the illness and its severity. Other times, psychotherapy is combined with medications. Therapists work with an individual or families to devise an appropriate treatment …

Child and Adolescent Mental Illness Statistics
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. It is hard for these children to control their behavior and/or pay attention. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 percent of children have ADHD, or approximately 2 million children in the United States. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD. (Source: NIMH, www.nimh.nih.gov, accessed February 11, 2009)
Autism …

What are the differences between psychology, psychiatry and psychotherapy?
There are quite significant differences between psychology, psychiatry and psychotherapy roles and they tend to deal with different types of problems, although there is considerable overlap in their work, below is a brief description of each of the careers and you can explore psychology and psychotherapy individually by clicking on the links in “Related information…”
What is psychology?
Psychology is the study of people: how they think, how they act, react and interact. Psychology is concerned with all aspects of behaviour and the thoughts, …

SCHIZOPHRENIA A Nonexistent Disease
The word “schizophrenia” has a scientific sound that seems to give it inherent credibility and a charisma that seems to dazzle people. In his book Molecules of the Mind – The Brave New Science of Molecular Psychology, University of Maryland journalism professor Jon Franklin calls schizophrenia and depression “the two classic forms of mental illness” (Dell Publishing Co., 1987, p. 119). According to the cover article in the July 6, 1992 Time magazine, schizophrenia is the “most devilish of mental illnesses” (p. 53). This …

What is ADHD?
Almost all children have behavior issues from time to time. But, for children with ADHD, behavior problems are persistent and occur over a long period of time. For a child with ADHD, their symptoms can create challenges all day, every day — at home, at school and at play. That can make both child and parent feel frustrated and alone.
ADHD is a real and treatable medical condition that affects 5 million children in the United States. ADHD symptoms fall into 3 basic subtypes, which include inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive behavior, …