Are Antidepressants Being Misused?

Are Antidepressants Being Misused?

Depression is a serious problem that is affecting lots of people all over the world. From the treatments available, antidepressants first became a common solution after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved fluoxetine in 1987. Since then, antidepressants are amongst the most prescribed medications in the world (Johnson & Kirsch, 2008, p. 54). This may be strictly related to the increase in depression and other related illnesses in people in the past decades, but it can also be influenced by the insurance and medical companies which are generally more leaned to opt for a relatively inexpensive pharmacotherapy, rather than more expensive and time consuming psychotherapies (Casey, 2013). Antidepressants are being misused, even when their actual benefits are doubtful compared to all the side effects they seem to have.

Depression is the response to a bad event or a series of bad events that produce a long-term more profound burden. There are several ways to treat depression that do not have to be taking pills; ranging from just exercising, to omega-3 fatty acids supplements, to psychotherapy. Antidepressants have quick and short term benefits for those who use them right, but they seem to have major benefits in people with more severe cases of depression. As Thomas Insel explains on his article in the NIH that, “In some patients, perhaps those with more severe clinical conditions, they appear to be essential for remission.” Dr. Casey also explains in his article that, “A much discussed meta-analysis performed by Kirsch et al. (…) showed limited efficacy for antidepressants, especially in milder cases of depression” (2013, p. 162). Thereby, these would be misused when prescribed to people with light symptoms of depression, specially when they can also cause a series of unwanted side effects. These ranging amongst nausea, weight gain, loss of libido, loss of effectiveness, increased suicidal thoughts, and several others.

Most of the studies conducted on antidepressants were made on short term benefits; as Dr. Casey explains in his article, “A large number of placebo-controlled trials of various antidepressants have been published, most showing efficacy compared with placebo. Many of these studies are relatively small and short-term in nature” (2013, p. 162). Considering the large list of side effects of antidepressants and the lack of research on long-term effects, it would seem logical for people with milder cases of depression to pursue one of the other treatments mentioned above. Nevertheless, their quick efficacy and large recommendation from most physicians makes them the fastest and most appealing option in the market. They are being largely used by people in the US, not minding if they have or not severe symptoms of depression. Insel explains that, “Although depression and anxiety disorders are the primary indications for prescribing antidepressants, doctors have prescribed these medications, generally “off-label,” to treat chronic pain, menstrual symptoms, low energy, and other maladies, with or without accompanying depressive or anxiety symptoms.” This should be a wake up call for people to not let themselves be fooled by the marketing system.

References

Casey, D. A. (2013). Do Antidepressant Medications Work? P&T , 38 (3).

Insel, T. (2011, December 6). National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/2011/antidepressants-a-complicated-picture.shtml

Johnson, B., & Kirsch, I. (2008, June). Do antidepressants work? statistical significance versus clinical benefits. Significance , 54-58.

What are the real risks of antidepressants? (2005). Retrieved from Harvard Health Publications: http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what_are_the_real_risks_of_antidepressants