3 Medical interventions
The first line of treatment offered nowadays will in many cases involve ‘talking therapies’. However, in some cases medical interventions may be offered for mental health problems. These typically comprise different types of medication such as anti-anxiety medication and anti-depressants. The next activity asks you to consider what you already know about antidepressants for young people.
Activity 6: Understanding the role of anti-depressants
Below is a list of statements relating to antidepressants. For each statement, decide whether it is true or false.
a.
True
b.
False
The correct answer is b.
Answer
False: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) warns against using St John’s wort for the treatment of depression in children and young people.
a.
True
b.
False
The correct answer is a.
Answer
True: see the NICE guidelines.
a.
True
b.
False
The correct answer is b.
Answer
False: Fluoxetine is often the first line of treatment when drugs are deemed necessary.
a.
True
b.
False
The correct answer is a.
Answer
True: The risk of suicide is greatest in the early stages of treatment. This may be due to the fact that the drugs need to be taken for a few weeks before they become effective in treating depression (which is itself associated with an increased risk of suicidal behaviour). Firm explanations are still being sought. Source: Gov.uk
2.2 The importance of professional help
