Psychopharmacology

One of the major treatment approaches in mental disorders is the use of psychoactive drug therapies, particularly in the more serious spectrum of disorders. The availability of a large range of modern psychopharmacological agents parallels the widespread and common use of these medications for a variety of conditions related to mental illness. There is now general consensus that the classes of drugs known as antipsychotics and antidepressants are both effective and beneficial in treating underlying symptoms of psychosis and depression, respectively. This applies equally to patients from diverse cultures and ethnicities. Although the exact mechanisms of action are not known, the current understanding is that neurobiological abnormalities are associated with illness states and that such drugs work by altering brain function and chemistry.

The dosing and ...