PHARMACOTHERAPY FOR CHRONIC DEPRESSION

Chronic depression is a prevalent but under-recognized and under treat ed psychiatric disorder. There is now good evidence that antidepressan t medication, including tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, are effective in treating both the depressive symptomatology and social impairments of chronic depression. Long-term studies in progress suggest that anti depressant medications are also effective in sustaining recovery durin g the maintenance treatment of chronic depression.