DEPRESSION IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE AND DEPRESSION PHARMACOTHERAPY

Abstract

Major depressive disorder is considered a worldwide public health problem and a typical illness in the modern world that has increased like an epidemic throughout the world. It causes severe functional incapacity at the physiological, affective and cognitive levels, which may evolve into suicidal tendencies, with countless cases of suicide actually committed by individuals in this state. Recently, the scientific communities have noticed the fact that this disorder also affects children and adolescents, with significant numbers. The fact that depression typically presents itself differently at this stage of life tends to hamper suspicion, diagnosis and promptness in drug therapy. The causes of childhood and adolescent depression can be exogenous (psychological, social, family and school stimuli) or endogenous (pathophysiological conditions and genetic inheritance). Pharmacotherapy, the most effective form of therapy, must observe a series of protocol criteria, taking into account, especially, the side effects of medications, interactions and possible comorbidities, highlighting at this point the crucial role of the pharmacist, as an expert. Each class of antidepressant and its drugs, respectively, have a reasonable level of efficacy, although they also have side effects and interactions, varying in degree. Over the years, advances in the knowledge of the pathophysiology of depression, improving pharmacotherapy, constitute an encouraging horizon for the near future, under the expectation of a more optimized pharmacological therapy.