Biological drug treatment for unipolar depression

Antidepressants are used to treat depression and work on the principle that since low levels of serotonin cause depression, increasing serotonin levels will help. Drugs such as Prozac work in this way. However, the fact that Prozac seems to improve depression does not prove that low levels of serotonin are the cause. It has also been found that while serotonine levels are quickly raised by drug treatment, improvement in the symptoms of depression may not follow for weeks.

Drugs used in treating depression are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Examples…