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Biological psychologists argue that depression is caused by a lack of which chemicals?
Monoamines
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Give three examples of monoamines
- Adrenaline
- Dopamine
- Noradrenaline
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How do MOIs improve depressive symptoms?
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors prevent the breakdown of neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline and serotonin meaning levels in the brain remain high
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What are the drawbacks of MAOIs?
They are toxic and require dietary requirements
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What are the functions of Tricyclics?
Slows the rate of re-absorption of noradrenaline and serotonin by preventing the re-uptake of neurotransmitters in the pre-synaptic vesicles of the brain
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When are MAOIs used?
Only in cases where the patient does not respond well to other antidepressants
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State 3 side effects of MAOIs and Tricyclics
- Possible heart attacks
- Dizziness
- Erectile dysfunction
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How do SSRIs function?
SSRIS function by preventing the re-uptake of serotonin in the presynaptic neuron, increasing serotonin levels in the brain
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Give an example of an SSRI
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
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Give two factors that make SSRIs more viable than other drug treatment
- SSRIs have fewer side effects
- You cannot overdose on SSRIs
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How long does it take for SSRIs to yield symptomatic improvement?
Usually within 2 weeks
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What is the foremost drug for Bipolar depression?
Lithium carbonate
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What is lithium carbonate thought to do?
Return dopamine and serotonin to normal levels
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What does the ineffectiveness of lithium carbonate in treating unipolar depression suggest?
Unipolar and Bipolar depression have different causes
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Why must lithium carbonate be taken continuously?
Discontinuation leads to mania
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State 3 side effects of lithium carbonate
- Hand tremors
- Blurred vision
- Kidney and liver dysfunction
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What did Gerbino et al find in 1978?
Lithium carbonate reduces the occurrence of manic and depressive episodes in 80% of patients with bipolar depression
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What was the suicide rate of bipolar depression prior to the introduction of lithium carbonate?
15% (it is now much lower)
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What are the rates of effectiveness for Tricyclics, MAOIs and SSRIs?
- Tricyclics: 60%
- MAOIs: 50%
- SSRIs: 60%
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Describe Thase and Kupfers' 1996 study into the effectiveness of drug treatment
- Review of studies comparing the effectiveness of antidepressants with placebos in blind trials
- Acute depression was lifted in 50-70% of cases
- This was 40% higher than in placebo groups
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What issues arise regarding the time taken for symptoms to improve?
Drugs change the levels of neurotransmitters within hours yet symptoms take 3-5 weeks to improve suggesting there must be other factors at play
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What criticism did Cole raise in 1990?
There have been reports that drugs such as Prozac are associated with suicidal urges
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Why is drug treatment criticised by freudian and cognitive psychotherapists?
- Treatment does nothing to address the route cause of the depression, only treating the symptoms it produces
- Many patients attend psychotherapeutic sessions to deal with the external stressors
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How does treatment fallacy relate to drug treatment methods
- Improvement in symptoms with treatment from chemicals does not prove that they are caused by a lack of said chemicals.
- It is possible that depression causes the hormone imbalance
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What effects does drug therapy have on the lifestyle of a patient?
Drug therapy allows people to integrate back into society, allowing them to keep symptoms under control and lead a normal life
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Why can drug treatment not be used for everyone?
Some patients do not respond to antidepressants alone and must undergo other therapy types or multiple in conjunction
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What ethical issues arise regarding drug treatment?
- Many drugs have upsetting and harmful side effects
- Misleading people into believing they are taking medication during studies involving placebos is morally questionable
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