[Pharmacologic treatment of depression]

The pharmacological treatment of depression is focussed on antidepressants. Different substance groups with different biochemical mechanisms and side effects have antidepressant effects. Based on these different substances the pharmacological treatment of depression has become more and more differentiated. The combination of antidepressants and other drugs (lithium, carbamazepine, benzodiazepines, stimulants, antipsychotics, hormones) offers additional possibilities. The combination with other biological treatments of depression enlarges the spectrum of treatments. The inclusion of non-biological therapies makes the therapeutic possibilities with proven antidepressant efficacy rich and powerful.