This glossary contains medical definitions to help you understand common terms related to the treatment of depression and anxiety. If you have any further questions, please ask your doctor or healthcare professional.
Adverse Events
Any undesired actions or effects of a drug or treatment, adverse events are also known as side effects. They are recorded as the percentage of patients who experience it; for example, if 10 people out of 100 in a clinical trial take a medicine and develop a headache, then 10% of the study participants experienced this adverse event.
Antidepressants
Medications that relieve symptoms of depression by affecting the levels of chemicals in the brain, known as neurotransmitters. Different classes of antidepressants (ie, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors) may have different efficacy, tolerability, and drug-drug interactions but all are considered to be generally safe. Many antidepressants may take several weeks or longer to be effective.
Anxiety
The apprehensive anticipation of future danger or misfortune accompanied by a feeling of unpleasant mood or physical symptoms of tension; generalized anxiety disorder is a common form of anxiety.
Clinical Trial
A research study to answer specific questions about new therapies or new ways of using known treatments. Clinical trials are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe and effective.
Contraindication
A situation when a drug, procedure, or treatment should not be used because it may be harmful to the person.
Controlled Study
A trial in which a test treatment is compared with a treatment that has known effects. While one treatment group receives the medication being studied, another group, called the control group, receives either no treatment, standard treatment (which may be another medicine or another approach to care), or placebo (sugar pill) in order to compare the effects of different treatments.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM)
The standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of all drugs, biologics, vaccines, and medical devices
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
An anxiety disorder characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry, and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it. Worries are accompanied by physical symptoms including fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, and irritability. Effective treatment for GAD is available and includes medication and/or cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
A serious medical condition that consists of at least two major depressive episodes and is characterized by a combination of symptoms including persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood, feelings of hopelessness, guilt, or worthlessness, helplessness, and loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed. Symptoms of depression interfere with normal functioning and are not associated with other psychiatric conditions, including mixed, manic, or hypomanic episodes.
Major Depressive Episode
A period of at least 2 weeks during which there is depressed mood and/or the loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities and the presence of several other symptoms (eg, fatigue, weight/appetite change, sleep disturbance) that impair functioning and represent a change in previous feelings and behavior. (DSM-IV)
Neurotransmitters
A chemical in the brain that transmits nerve impulses from one neuron to an adjacent neuron at a place called a synapse.
Placebo
A biologically inactive substance administered to some participants in a clinical trial for the purpose of comparing no treatment to active treatment. In a blinded trial, patients do not know whether they are receiving a placebo or the drug being tested.
Psychiatrist
A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
Psychiatry
The medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
Psychologist
A person trained to study the mind and behavior in relation to different areas of human activity including the family, education, employment, and the treatment of mental health problems.
Psychotherapist
A professionally trained and licensed person who uses a variety of techniques to improve the mental health and coping skills of a client/patient or group. Psychotherapists come from diverse backgrounds including psychologists, counselors, social workers, and psychiatrists.
Psychotherapy
Treatment of emotional, behavioral, personality, and psychiatric disorders in the context of on an established therapeutic relationship between a psychotherapist and client/group. Most forms of psychotherapy use verbal communication; interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral therapies are among the most common.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
Are a class of antidepressants used to treat of major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and some personality disorders.
Serotonin
Is a neurotransmitter that aids in the regulation of mood, appetite, sleep, muscle contraction, and some cognitive functions including memory and learning in the central nervous system of animals.