On Depression in the Czech Republic in 1999

Overview

The author demonstrates on the case-history of a woman who lost her job and began to sufferfrom depression that antidepressants can eliminate depression, even if its psychogenic causepersists. The fact that depressions can be successfully treated by antidepressants, regardlessof their cause has been known for some 18 years. The author was stimulated to publish thiscase-history by the persisting views of doctors - non-psychiatrists who adhere to the oldclassification which divided depressions into endogenous and psychogenic (reactive) and assu-me that psychogenic depressions can be treated only by psychotherapy. The internationalclassification of diseases has abondoned this classification and classifies depressions by theirseverity and not by the assumed etiology. This present classification facilitates decisions abouttreatment: the drugs of choice are nowadays selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI).Among the latter fluoxetine is refunded by health insurance companies even when prescribedby general practitioners or specialists other than psychiatrists.

Key words:
depression - antidepressants - SSRI - fluoxetine - treatment.