Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents01:23

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

1.2K
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...
1.2K
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy01:26

Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy

660
Antipsychotic drugs are a crucial treatment method for acute and chronic psychoses, bipolar illness, and behavioral disorders. The selection of these drugs depends on several factors, including the state of the disease, clinical judgment, possible drug interactions, and the patient's sensitivity to adverse effects. In immediate scenarios, such as delirium and dementia, short-term treatment with low doses of high-potency typical or atypical agents can effectively manage symptom exacerbation.
660
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview01:28

Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview

1.1K
The term "psychosis" refers to a spectrum of mental disorders characterized by abnormal thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors. It can manifest as mood disorders, dementia, delirium with psychotic features, substance-induced psychosis with psychotic features, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. Among all these disorders, schizophrenia is the most common psychotic disorder, affecting 1% of the worldwide population. Psychotic...
1.1K
Drug Therapy01:28

Drug Therapy

391
The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications
391
Antipsychotic Drugs: Therapeutic Uses and Side Effects01:21

Antipsychotic Drugs: Therapeutic Uses and Side Effects

1.1K
Antipsychotic drugs primarily block dopamine and serotonin receptors and cholinergic, adrenergic, and histaminergic receptors, thereby reducing hallucinations and delusions in conditions like schizophrenia. However, they can trigger unwanted extrapyramidal effects such as dystonias, Parkinson-like symptoms, and tardive dyskinesia.
Despite these side effects, antipsychotics are used therapeutically for various purposes, including managing schizophrenia, preventing nausea and vomiting, curbing...
1.1K
Mania and Antimanic Drugs: Overview01:24

Mania and Antimanic Drugs: Overview

756
Mania, a psychological condition characterized by elevated mood, increased energy, and reduced sleep need, is part of the bipolar disorder cycle. The exact cause of mania isn't entirely known, but it is thought to be a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors. Bipolar disorder involves alternating manic and depressive episodes. Mood stabilizers like lithium, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants help manage these episodes. Lithium carbonate is particularly effective as...
756

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Navigating Outpatient Opioid Prescribing.

Journal of palliative medicine·2026
Same author

Existential Suffering: Intensive Caring and Existential Therapy Informed Communication for Serious Illness Care.

Journal of palliative medicine·2026
Same author

Building a Career in Hospice and Palliative Medicine Research: Advice for Early Investigators.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
Same author

Comment on C-L Case Conference by Pillai et al.: The Importance of Setting to the Coordination of Care in a Moral Community and Treatment Over Objection as a "Housekeeping Issue".

Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry·2026
Same author

Drug Burden Index and Its Association With Functional Outcomes in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis.

Kidney medicine·2026
Same author

Stuck in Despair: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Informed Communication for Serious Illness Care.

Journal of palliative medicine·2026
Same journal

Coping with Breathlessness in Individuals with Lung Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
Same journal

Growing the Next Generation of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Researchers.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
Same journal

Topical Amitriptyline, Ketamine, and Lidocaine Cream for Neuropathic Pain Control in Pediatric Oncology Patients.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
Same journal

Perceived Stigma, Psychological Distress, and Symptom Burden in Decompensated Cirrhosis.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
Same journal

Routine Urine Drug Screening in Palliative Care - A Call for Evidence Before Implementation.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
Same journal

Why We Should Rarely Override Surrogates.

Journal of pain and symptom management·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Vagus Nerve Stimulation As an Adjunctive Neurostimulation Tool in Treatment-resistant Depression
04:29

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

Published on: January 7, 2019

29.9K

Second-Generation Antipsychotics for Depression in Serious Illness: A First-Line Augmentation Strategy.

Gregg Robbins-Welty1, Mia Pattillo2, Danielle Chammas3

  • 1Departments of Medicine and Family and Preventative Medicine (G.R.-W.), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
|March 23, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) can rapidly improve depression in serious illness, offering faster relief than traditional antidepressants. Early, low-dose SGA augmentation is recommended, especially when physical symptoms also need management.

Keywords:
Depressionantipsychoticspalliative carepsychopharmacologyserious illness care

More Related Videos

How to Use the H1 Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Coil for Conditions Other than Depression
07:00

How to Use the H1 Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Coil for Conditions Other than Depression

Published on: January 23, 2017

25.1K
Conventional Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Depression: A Step-by-Step Protocol
10:54

Conventional Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Depression: A Step-by-Step Protocol

Published on: November 21, 2025

763

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Vagus Nerve Stimulation As an Adjunctive Neurostimulation Tool in Treatment-resistant Depression
04:29

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

Published on: January 7, 2019

29.9K
How to Use the H1 Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Coil for Conditions Other than Depression
07:00

How to Use the H1 Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Coil for Conditions Other than Depression

Published on: January 23, 2017

25.1K
Conventional Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Depression: A Step-by-Step Protocol
10:54

Conventional Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Depression: A Step-by-Step Protocol

Published on: November 21, 2025

763

Area of Science:

  • Palliative Care
  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Depression is prevalent and disabling in serious illness, often necessitating swift symptom improvement.
  • Traditional antidepressants have a slow onset of action, typically requiring weeks for therapeutic effects.
  • Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) demonstrate faster onset and augmentation efficacy in general psychiatric conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence for using SGAs in treating depression within serious illness contexts.
  • To evaluate SGAs as both monotherapy and augmentation strategies for depression.
  • To assess the potential for rapid symptom improvement in palliative care patients.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of psychiatric and serious illness-specific evidence for SGAs.
  • Analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational data.
  • Examination of safety profiles in cancer patient populations.

Main Results:

  • SGA augmentation in psychiatric populations improved response/remission rates (ORs 1.34-2.93, NNT 7-13) with 1-2 week onset.
  • SGA monotherapy is less tolerated and not guideline-recommended.
  • While no serious illness-specific psychiatric RCTs exist, cancer trials support SGA safety for various symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • SGAs possess the strongest evidence among augmentation options for depression in serious illness.
  • Early, low-dose SGA augmentation may provide significant benefits when rapid improvement is crucial.
  • Consider SGAs early for depression, especially when they can concurrently manage physical symptoms relevant to palliative care.