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Preface Antidepressants: History, Science, and Issues examines antidepressant medica- tions from different perspectives, starting with their original creation in the 1950s through today. Antidepressants are some of the most widely used medications in the United States and throughout the world, for the treat- ment of depression and other mental health disorders. In the United States, over 10 percent of people aged 12 and over take an antidepressant medication. For the most part, these medications are safe and effective for the treatment of various disorders, and since they cannot be used recreation- ally, they are not associated with problems of abuse. However, their use is still controversial in some respects. Some people believe that antidepressants are overprescribed, especially in adolescents and children. Others believe that antidepressants are not particularly effective in reducing symptoms of depression and that nonpharmaceutical approaches such as psychotherapy should always be tried first. These are some of the issues that will be dis- cussed in this book. Chapter 1 presents a case study of a young woman who started experiencing symptoms of depression in adolescence, which worsened as she entered adult- hood. This is a fairly common pattern for many young adults who have a rel- atively high prevalence of depression. Chapter 2 provides an overview of antidepressants, beginning first with a discussion of the diagnosis of depres- sion, or what is referred to as “major depressive disorder.” The various classes of antidepressants are then described, starting with the earliest tricyclic antide- pressants and moving through to the specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the most recent atypical antidepressants.