What is treatment-resistant depression?
View this post on Instagram
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a subset of Major Depressive Disorder that does not respond to standard and first-line antidepressants, such as antidepressants like serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).1 SSRIs work to increase serotonin levels in the brain by blocking their reabsorption (or reuptake) into the brain’s nerve terminals or neurons.2 SNRIs help to increase both serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain by blocking their reuptake.3
As many as one-third of individuals with depression struggle with TRD.4 This condition is commonly defined as a failure of treatment to produce response or remission after at least two trials of antidepressant pharmacotherapy. 5, 6
Footnotes
1. Voineskos, D., et al., (2020, January 21). Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression: Challenges and Strategies. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6982454/
2. Villines, Z., (2020 October 23). What are the Differences Between SSRIs and SNRIs? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ssri-vs-snri
3. Villines, Z., (2020 October 23). What are the Differences Between SSRIs and SNRIs? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ssri-vs-snri
4. Brown, J. (2018 April 30). 4 Things We Now Know About Treatment-Resistant Depression. Johnson and Johnson. https://www.jnj.com/
5. Voineskos, D., et al., (2020, January 21). Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression: Challenges and Strategies. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6982454/
6. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2018, February 9). Definition of Treatment-Resistant Depression in the Medicare Population. US Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coverage/DeterminationProcess/downloads/id105TA.pdf