• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2012

Antidepressants are frequently prescribed for a wide range of symptoms. Surveys in several countries have suggested that negative attitudes towards antidepressants are common. However, there has been limited research associated with the attitudes in Korea. Therefore, this quantitative descriptive study describing the perception and attitudes toward antidepressants was performed using healthy people and outpatients who are not taking antidepressants. The surveys by means of self-reporting questionnaires showed negative attitudes towards antidepressants (74.2%). But, 74.2% of above participants gave positive answers to take antidepressants when they are counseled by medical professionals. Higher rates of negative attitudes were found in younger age group ("it causes addiction") and healthy volunteers and urban area groups ("it causes physical harm"). Study participants without experiences in taking antidepressants showed more negative attitudes although the difference was not statistically significant. Based on the results, accurate and objective information about antidepressants needs to be provided by well-trained health professionals.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2016

Development of various antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant has led to a tremendous progression of pharmaceutical treatment for depression, but still there are some limitations of current antidepressants, such as treatment-resistant depression and delayed onset of antidepressants. The pathogenesis of depression is unclear because depression is a heterogeneous disease state, and the mechanisms of antidepressants remain uncertain as well. Nevertheless, in an attempt to develop novel antidepressants, some trials have been conducted based on the potential biological mechanism discovered in the numerous research results. This review will provide information about the potential novel antidepressants and the current states of clinical studies using them. In particular, some potential novel antidepressants anti-inflammatory agents, antioxidants, anticholinergics, modulators of Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis, glutamate, and opioid systems, as well as some neuropeptides such as susbstance P, neuropeptide Y, and galanin will be discussed.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2008

Objectives : Antidepressants are prescribed by not only psychiatrists but also general practitioners. However, patients' negative attitude and stigma against antidepressants are major obstacles to prescribe antidepressants in nonpsychiatric outpatient departments. We, therefore, examined patients' attitude toward antidepressant in medical and surgical group outpatient in Korea. Methods : Short item questionnaire was applied to medical group and surgical group outpatients who consented to this survey in a Korean university hospital. 100 medical and 100 surgical outpatients were surveyed. The questionnaire contained sociodemographic information, previous recognition of antidepressant, and general attitude toward attidepressants. Results : Of the 212 recipients, exclusive of erroneous and missing ones, we analyzed 200 recipients. 1) We found negative attitude toward antidepressants among both medical and surgical outpatients. 2) Medical group outpatients are answered more' antidepressants cause physically ill. 3) The persons who didn't take previously antidepressants showed more negative attitudes. 4) The most reason why they refuse to take antidepressants is concerns of side effects of antidepressants. Conclusion : There are highly negative attitude toward antidepressants between medical and surgical group outpatients. Study findings suggest the need for an active education on antidepressants to nonpsychiatric outpatients to maximize their therapeutic effect and compliance.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 1999

New antidepressants have become available for clinical use in the 1990s. Before this decade, the drugs available to treat depression consisted essentially of monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, and lithium. Following the introduction of SSRIs, the options have expanded and now include SSRIs, nefazodone, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, reboxetine, tianeptine. Newer antidepressants possess a variety of pharmacological characteristics that are relevant to the choice of an antidepressant for clinical use. This review summarizes some of the major pharmacological characteristics among the drugs.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.289-292
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• 2013

A total of 2,080 forensic autopsies in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi province were performed by the National Forensic Service (NFS) in 2010. After analysing blood samples collected at autopsies by GC-MS and LC-MS/MS, the types and prevalence of drugs and poisons in blood were investigated using our laboratory information management system. Among 2,080 cases, 1,061 cases (51%) were positive for drugs and poisons. Surprisingly, antidepressants were identified in 137 cases which comprised 13% of the positive cases. Twelve different kinds of antidepressants were determined: Amitriptyline, fluoxetine, nortriptyline, trazodone, imipramine, mirtazapine, citalopram, venlafaxin, clomipramine, paroxetine, sertraline and bupropion. Amitriptyline was the most frequently detected antidepressant and was identified in 39 cases. Moreover, amitriptyline, fluoxetine, and nortriptyline were included in the list of the 20 most commonly encountered drugs or poisons in the analysis of blood collected at autopsies from 2007 to 2009, indicating the prevalence of their use. In this study, the 137 antidepressant-related deaths were classified by the mode of death to predict the prevalence of these drugs. As a result, those deaths were divided into four groups based on the cause and mode of death: 56 cases of suicide with fatal concentrations of antidepressant drugs in blood, 6 homicidal cases directly or indirectly related to antidepressants, 59 natural deaths with antidepressants detected in blood and 16 deaths caused by fire or other accidents with antidepressants detected in blood. Because incidents involving antidepressants have been increasing, especially in suicides or homicides, it is necessary for the health authorities and law enforcement administrations to cooperate and share the statistical data for curbing the abuse of antidepressants. This report is expected to provide the reference data related with antidepressants for the investigation of the deaths.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.307-312
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• 1998

This study was performed to investigate the mechanism of central analgesic effects of antidepressants. Thirty four male rats were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (40 mg/kg, ip). A stainless steel guide cannula and a PE tube (PE10) were implanted into the lateral ventricle and cisterna magna area. Stimulating and recording electrodes were implanted into the incisor pulp and anterior digastric muscle. Electrodes were led subcutaneously to the miniature cranial connector sealed on the top of the skull with acrylic resin. The jaw opening reflex was used in freely moving rats, and antidepressants were administered intracisternally in order to eliminate the effects of anesthetic agents on the pain assessment and evaluate the importance of the central action site of antidepressants. After 48 hours of recovery from surgery, digastric electromyogram (dEMG) of freely moving rats was recorded. Electrical shocks (200 ${\mu}sec$ duration, 0.5-2 mA intensity) were delivered at 0.5 Hz to the dental pulp every 2 minute. Intracisternal administration of $15\;{\mu}g$ imipramine suppressed dEMG elicited by noxious electrical stimulation in the tooth pulp to $76{\pm}6%$ control. Intracisternal administration of $30\;{\mu}g$ desipramine, nortriptyline, or imipramine suppressed dEMG remarkably to $48{\pm}2,\;27{\pm}8,\;or\;25{\pm}5%$ of the control, respectively. Naloxone, methysergide, and phentolamine blocked the suppression of dEMG produced by intracisternal antidepressants from $23{\pm}2\;to\;69{\pm}4%,\;from\;32{\pm}5\;to\;80{\pm}9%,\;and\;from\;24{\pm}6\;to\;77{\pm}5%$ of the control, respectively. These results indicate that antidepressants produce antinociception through central mechanisms in the orofacial area. Antinociception of intracisternal antidepressants seems to be mediated by an augmentation of descending pain inhibitory influences on nociceptive pathways.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2016

Background: Depression is the leading cause of lowering the quality of life of cancer patients and lung cancer is the most likely to cause depression. It is necessary to find out depression-related factors in lung cancer patients. Methods: The study was a retrospective cohort study using medical records, and was a non-equivalent comparison group design. It involved patients diagnosed of lung cancer at the Konkuk University Medical Center from January to December 2012. Between antidepressants prescription group and non prescription group, socio-demographic factors, clinical factors, treatment-related factors and other factors were analyzed statistically. Results: Antidepressant prescription group consisted of 23 people and non-prescription group of 206 people. Prescription rate of quetiapine was the highest 47.8% (11/23), followed by escitalopram (43.5%, 10/23), amitryptyline and trazodone (30.4%, 7/23). The prescription group was prescribed with an average of 1.9 antidepressants. Antidepressants were prescribed after average of 248 days from lung cancer diagnosis and prescription period per patient was average 177.5 days. According to the result of univariate logistic regression analysis between 2 groups, factors such as number of outpatient visit, number of admission, days of hospitalization, sleep disorder, and comorbidity were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). However, According multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that number of admission, days of hospitalization and sleep disorder were statistically significant (p < 0.05) excluding comorbidity. Conclusion: About 10% of lung cancer patients had received a prescription for antidepressants after lung cancer diagnosis. A sleep disorder, number of hospitalization and length of stay were identified as factors influencing the prescribing antidepressants.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.121-124
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• 1993

To elucidate the effect of antipsychotics and antidepressants on phosphoinositide(Pl) second massenger system, we studied the dose-dependent inhibition of the phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C(PLC) isozymes, ${\beta}_1,\;{\gamma}_1$ and${\delta}_1,$ by fluphenazine and haloperidol as antipsychotics, and amitriptyline, maprotiline and mianserin as antidepressants. All the antipsychotics and antidepressants tested showed inhibition on at least one of the PLC isozymes with $IC_{50}$ at the concentration between 25 and $250 {\mu}M.$ Maprotiline, mianserin and amitriptyline inhibited 80 to 90% of the activities of all three PLC isozymes at the concentration of $250{\mu}M,$ while haloperidol and fluphenazine inhibited PLC ${\beta}_1$ and${\gamma}_1$ But baclofen didn't inhibit any PLC isozyme. These results suggested that PLC isozymes are inhibited by antipsychotics and antidepessants even though the concentration is high, and these drugs may affect PI signal transduction system by direct inhibition of PLC isozymes.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2007

Antidepressants are used by substantial number of physicians as well as psychiatrists. Antidepressants are the mainstay of treatment of depression combined with physical illness, neuropathic pain, and various psychosomatic disorders. Antidepressants, especially TCA and SSRI, are superior to placebo in treating comorbid depression and pain of physical illness. Although it has been controversial whether the influence of depression on the risk and outcome of physical illness is true, antidepressants would provide more favorable prognosis and better quality of life for the patients with physical illness.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.244-251
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• 2006

Depression is a frequent cause of suicide. Although there have been reports that SSRIs might increase suicidal ideations and behaviors, most studies found antidepressants are effective treatments of suicidal ideations and behaviors. Antidepressants have also been shown to have prophylactic effects in preventing suicidal behaviors. Most double-blind studies do not suggest a causal relationship between antidepressant and the increased suicidality. Our review results suggest that the undertreatments of depression are more significant problems with the use of antidepressants in suicidal patients.