Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...

Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs

Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs

Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs), including Desipramine (Norpramin), Imipramine (Tofranil), Clomipramine (Anafranil), and Amitriptyline (Elavil), inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake and also block other receptors. They are used for depression, pain conditions, and insomnia. Common adverse effects include anticholinergic effects, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, and weight gain. They have a narrow therapeutic window and so require plasma-level monitoring. Abrupt discontinuation can...

Antidepressant Drugs: Overview

Antidepressant Drugs: Overview

Antidepressant drugs are a class of medications primarily used for treating various mood disorders, including major depression, anxiety disorders, and other related conditions. These medicines work by modulating the neurotransmitter balance within the brain, alleviating depressive symptoms. Antidepressants can be broadly categorized into several groups according to their mechanism of action and chemical structure: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin-Norepinephrine...

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or shock therapy, remains a critical biomedical intervention for severe, treatment-resistant depression. While its origins can be traced back to Hippocrates' observations that malaria-induced convulsions alleviated mental illness, modern ECT has evolved significantly from its earlier, more primitive applications. First introduced in 1938 by Ugo Cerletti and his colleagues, ECT involves inducing controlled seizures using electrical currents. In its early...

Depression: Overview

Depression: Overview

Depression is a prevalent mental illness marked by persistent sadness and lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities. It can take several forms, including major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar I and II disorders. Symptoms range from emotional changes like chronic worry to physical changes like sleep disturbances and suicidal thoughts. From a neurobiological perspective, depression is believed to be triggered by abnormalities in the brain's prefrontal cortex,...

Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders

Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders

Treatment approaches for psychological disorders fall into three main categories: psychological, biological, and sociocultural. Each approach targets different aspects of mental health, requiring varying levels of education and training.
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A qualitative investigation of young people's experiences and views of Early Support Hubs across England.

PloS one·2026

Same author

Can whole-family interventions target violence and parenting in families experiencing domestic violence and abuse? A longitudinal study of the For Baby's Sake programme.

BMC psychology·2026

Same author

Maternal glycaemia and child educational attainment at age 5 in the Born in Bradford cohort.

Diabetic medicine : a journal of the British Diabetic Association·2026

Same author

Barriers to accessing perinatal mental health services in ethnically diverse women in the UK.

BMC psychiatry·2026

Same author

Visual content and thematic analyses of images shared on social media before and after episodes of self-harm in a UK clinical youth sample.

BMJ open·2026

Same author

Infant feeding experiences and support needs in women with severe mental illness: A qualitative study in England.

Women and birth : journal of the Australian College of Midwives·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 24, 2026

Vagus Nerve Stimulation As an Adjunctive Neurostimulation Tool in Treatment-resistant Depression

Vagus Nerve Stimulation As an Adjunctive Neurostimulation Tool in Treatment-resistant Depression

Published on: January 7, 2019

Antidepressant treatment for postnatal depression.

Emma Molyneaux¹, Louise M Howard, Helen R McGeown

¹Health Service and Population Research Department, The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, PO31 De Crespigny Park, London, UK, SE5 8AF.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

|September 12, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) show higher response and remission rates than placebo for postnatal depression. However, evidence quality is very low due to small sample sizes and risk of bias.

More Related Videos

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Published on: June 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Therapeutic Benefit of Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation in Depression Treatment

Author Spotlight: Therapeutic Benefit of Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation in Depression Treatment

Published on: July 7, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 24, 2026

Vagus Nerve Stimulation As an Adjunctive Neurostimulation Tool in Treatment-resistant Depression

Vagus Nerve Stimulation As an Adjunctive Neurostimulation Tool in Treatment-resistant Depression

Published on: January 7, 2019

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Published on: June 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Therapeutic Benefit of Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation in Depression Treatment

Author Spotlight: Therapeutic Benefit of Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation in Depression Treatment

Published on: July 7, 2023

Area of Science:

Perinatal mental health
Pharmacological interventions
Evidence-based medicine

Background:

Postnatal depression impacts maternal, infant, and family well-being.
Current treatments primarily involve social support and psychological interventions.
The efficacy and safety of antidepressants for postnatal depression remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess antidepressant effectiveness versus other treatments, placebo, or usual care for postnatal depression.
To update previous reviews on this topic.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to July 2014.
Included RCTs comparing antidepressants with other treatments, placebo, or usual care.
Data extraction and meta-analysis of comparable studies.

Main Results:

Six trials with 596 participants were included.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) showed higher response/remission rates than placebo (RR 1.43-1.79), but evidence quality was very low.
No significant differences in side effects were found, but data on infant effects were limited.

Conclusions:

Evidence for antidepressant effectiveness in postnatal depression is limited by small sample sizes and high risk of bias.
Insufficient evidence exists to compare antidepressants with psychological treatments or to determine optimal antidepressant choice.
More large-scale RCTs are needed, focusing on infant outcomes and breastfeeding safety.