Summary

The book deals with the subject of depression and its causes and answers a number of questions that should be of interest to any and every patient regarding the health-care system and the society in general. Why has the diagnosis of depression increased over the past two decades? Are treatments offered to patients by their primary care physicians and psychiatrists justified and evidence based? Why do patients use nutritional and herbal supplements and are attracted to other complementary therapies? How do pharmaceutical companies exploit the health-care system and influence physicians to prescribe not the most effective but most expensive medicines? What is St. John's wort, and who has been using this unassuming weed for health benefits? The effectiveness of antidepressant drugs, both typical and newer drug classes, like SSRIs and SNRIs, and their adverse effects have been presented. The author has made head-to-head comparisons of scientific studies of St. John's wort with SSRIs, such as Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft, for their effectiveness, adverse effects, and potentials for drug interactions in cogent and easily understood manner. The author leaves the reader with a take-home message as he concludes this book.