New indications for antidepressants

J Clin Psychiatry. 2000:61 Suppl 11:9-17.

Abstract

The second and third generation of antidepressants, i.e., the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, nefazodone, venlafaxine, and mirtazapine, are proving to be useful in a variety of seemingly diverse disorders, including most anxiety disorders. In addition to receiving approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for major depressive disorder, some of the newer antidepressants have received FDA approval for other disorders, e.g., generalized anxiety disorder (venlafaxine), bulimia nervosa (fluoxetine), obsessive-compulsive disorder (fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, and fluoxetine), social phobia (paroxetine), panic disorder (sertraline, paroxetine), and posttraumatic stress disorder (sertraline). In controlled studies, these agents have also shown usefulness in premenstrual dysphoric disorder, borderline personality disorder, obesity, smoking cessation, and alcoholism. This article describes the new and potential indications for recently developed antidepressants and the studies that suggested these indications.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alcoholism / drug therapy
  • Alcoholism / epidemiology
  • Antidepressive Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Antidepressive Agents / pharmacology
  • Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Anxiety Disorders / drug therapy
  • Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology
  • Comorbidity
  • Depressive Disorder / drug therapy
  • Depressive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / drug therapy
  • Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / epidemiology
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / drug therapy
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Mental Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Mental Disorders / epidemiology
  • Premenstrual Syndrome / drug therapy
  • Premenstrual Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / drug therapy
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antidepressive Agents