Drugs for Treating Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders

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• Chapter 16
• Drugs for Treating Schizophrenia and Mood
  Disorders

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THE BIOMEDICAL MODEL OF MENTAL ILLNESS

• Mental disorders are caused by abnormal
  biochemical processes in the brain.
• Genetic evidence for the biomedical model
• Drugs used to treat mental illness are referred
  to as psychiatric drugs, or psychotropic
  medication.

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SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

• Schizophrenic patients are split off or broken
  off from a firm sense of reality.
• Symptoms may include delusional thinking,
  hallucinations (usually auditory), dulled
  emotions, inappropriate verbal expressions, odd
  body postures (catatonia).

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SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA
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ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUG TREATMENT

• First-generation antipsychotic drugs
• Thorazine, Haldol, Mellaril, Stelazine
• Typical antipsychotic drugs - they produce side
  effects that resemble Parkinsons disease.

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ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS
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ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUG TREATMENT

• Second-generation antipsychotic drugs
• Clozaril, Zyprexa, Risperdal
• Third-generation antipsychotic drugs
• Abilify

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SIDE EFFECTS OF ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS

• First-generation drugs Parkinson-like symptoms,
  tardive dyskinesia
• Clozaril Agranulocytosis in 1-2 percent of
  patients
• Zyprexa and Risperdal Significant weight gain
  and development of diabetes, dementia among
  elderly patients

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ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS AND THE BRAIN

• In general, antipsychotic drugs are altering the
  level of stimulation of dopamine-sensitive
  receptors in the brain.
• Subtypes of dopamine-sensitive receptors are
  differentially affected by various antipsychotic
  drugs.
• Third-generation antipsychotic drugs stabilize
  (modulate) the level of D2 receptors

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MOOD DISORDERS
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ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS

• First-generation antidepressant drugs
• MAO-inhibitors (Nardil, Parnate),
  tricyclic drugs (Tofranil, Elavil)
• Second-generation antidepressant drugs
• SSRIs (Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Zoloft)
• Third-generation antidepressant drugs
• Cymbalta, Remeron, Effexor

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ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND NEUROTRANSMITTERS

• MAO-inhibitors raise functioning levels of
  norepinephrine and serotonin.
• SSRIs raise functioning levels of serotonin.
• Third-generation antidepressants raise
  functioning levels of norepinephrine and
  serotonin.

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DRUGS FOR OTHER TYPES OF MENTAL DISORDERS

• Mania and bipolar disorders Lithium, Depakote,
  Symbyax, Abilify
• Autism Risperdal
• Mild depression St. Johns wort

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ISSUES IN MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT

• Social effects of deinstitutionalization
• Psychiatric drugs and civil liberties
• Impact of health insurance coverage policy