Common side effects mentioned in these survey studies include headache, nausea, weight gain, and sleepiness ( 17, 19).Įmotional blunting is also considered a potential side effect of antidepressants, in particular SSRI antidepressants, and has been reported in multiple case reports and clinical studies. In another study, 38% of 700 patients reported experiencing one or more side effects while taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, a relatively newer and safer generation of antidepressants ( 17, 18). In one online study conducted among 180 patients who were long-term users of antidepressants, more than 70% of the participants reported experiencing at least one side effect while taking their medications ( 16). Despite the medications' well-established treatment efficacy ( 14, 15), their side effects have also been documented in accumulating studies. It has been estimated that the response rate to antidepressant treatments ranges from 42 to 53% ( 12, 13). From 2005 to 2008, antidepressants were the third most commonly prescribed drug in the U.S., and the rate of antidepressant use increased nearly 400% from 1988 to 2008 ( 11). Most evidence-based clinical practice guidelines recommend antidepressants as the first treatment step for MDD ( 9, 10). Pharmacological treatments, psychological interventions, and neuromodulation interventions are used to manage MDD symptoms and have been proven effective in various past studies ( 6– 8). By definition, MDD is a highly recurrent, comorbid, and chronic psychiatric disorder ( 3, 4) characterized by symptoms like persistently depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure (anhedonia), and feelings of worthlessness or guilt ( 5). The WHO predicts that by the year 2030, MDD will rank second in the Global Burden of Disease study as measured by disability-adjusted life years ( 2). Depressive disorders have been estimated to be the third leading cause of years lived with disability for all ages worldwide, and the global prevalence of MDD has significantly increased over the last few decades ( 1).
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