Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors or serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) are a class of compounds typically used as antidepressants in the treatment of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. 1 Drugs in this class include citalopram and escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine , sertraline, dapoxetine indalpine and zimelidine (discontinued) Antidepressants are recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) as a first-line treatment of severe depression and for the treatment of mild-to-moderatedepression that persists after conservative measures such as cognitive therapy.
They recommend against their routine use in those who have chronic health problems and mild depression.2 Two meta-analyses published in 2008 (Kirsch) and 2010 (Fournier) found that in mild and moderate depression, the effect of SSRIs is small or none compared to…
