Anti-depressants may worsen long-term cause of depression - Oct 03 2011 - Breaking News - Labmate Online

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Anti-depressants may worsen long-term cause of depression

Scientists have suggested that drugs used to treat people with depression may

actually be worsening the long-term causes of the condition.

A study published in the journal Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and

Biological Psychiatry and conducted by Giovanni Fava and Emanuela Offidani from

the University of Bologna shows that prolonged usage enhances the biochemical

vulnerability to depression.

This, in turn, worsens its long-term outcome and symptomatic expression, and

reduces the likelihood of a subsequent response to pharmacological treatment and

the length of any symptom-free periods.

Following a study of databases art Medline, Cinahl, PsychInfo, Web of Science

and the Cochrane Library, the expert found that although anti-depressants can be

effective in treating depressive episodes, they are less effective at treating

recurrent depression or preventing a relapse.

Side-effects such as withdrawal symptoms at discontinuation of use, the onset of

tolerance and resistance phenomena and switch and cycle acceleration in bipolar

patients were also observe by the scientists.

They subsequently recommended appraisal and testing of the oppositional model of

tolerance, claiming it may produce " important insights " into the long-term

treatment and achievement of enduring effects.

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