Pharmacotherapy of Depression

Recently acquired knowledge about the various subtypes of depression, the introduction of novel antidepressant medications, and the functioning of the brain during depression have led to a complexity of treatment options that did not exist a decade ago. In Pharmacotherapy of Depression, well-recognized clinician-scientists who have worked extensively in both basic and clinical research, as well as in clinical practice, explain in detail the welter of therapeutic options available to frontline physicians who prescribe antidepressants. Single-mindedly concentrating on information of high relevance to their daily clinical use, the authors review the latest developments concerning these medications and demonstrate how experts in the field approach the treatment of depression. Their clinical recommendations cover a wide range of uses in special populations, including geriatric depression, bipolar depression, psychotic depression, substance abuse and depression, HIV/AIDS-related depression, depression associated with pregnancy, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression in children. As necessary background to optimal prescribing, the authors also survey the biological theories of depression, explain their implications for current and new treatments, and clarify the clinical pharmacology and therapeutics of today's antidepressant medications. An accompanying compact disk allows the downloading of an ebook version to the reader's PC or PDA. Comprehensive and state-of-the-art, Pharmacotherapy of Depression offers busy clinicians from many disciplines a gold-standard practical guide and reference to the safe and effective use of the latest antidepressant medications.