Drug Therapy for Depression in Patients with Alcohol Abuse

1 Tittle Student’s Name Course Name and Course Number Institution’s Name Instructor’s Name Date

2 1. In 3 or 4 sentences, explain the appropriate drug therapy for a patient who presents with MDD and a history of alcohol abuse. Which drugs are contraindicated, if any, and why? Be specific. What is the timeframe that the patient should see resolution of symptoms? Escitalopram and Acamprosate combination can be useful for alcohol use disorder individuals with depression to reduce the consumption of alcohol. Additionally, providing canceling and support to these individuals helps reduce the amount of alcohol they are drinking and later abandon it completely. However, the treatment does not prevent the withdrawal symptoms associated with the immediate withdrawal of excessive alcohol consumption. Within three to twelve months, this approach reduces the number of alcohol consumers and increases the number of days they can go without alcohol. Additionally, Escitalopram plays an important role in balancing certain natural substances in the brain, thus treating anxiety and depression within two weeks (Hillemacher and Frieling, 2019). 2. List 4 predictors of late-onset generalized anxiety disorder. The principal predictors of the late-onset generalized disorder include: a) Being female. The differences in brain chemistry and hormonal fluctuations in reproductive events have been heavily linked to anxiety disorder. b) Having recently experienced adverse life events. Events such as money worries, redundancy, and illness can trigger mental disorders and result in depression ( Field, 2018). c) Having chronic physical. The nervous system kicks into action when the patient is anxious, and physical symptoms can appear, depicting depression ( Field, 2018).

3 d) Having experienced mental disorders including phobia and depression. Developing phobia and having an experience of phonic attack can as well result in depression ( Field, 2018). 3. List 4 potential neurobiology causes of psychotic major depression. a) Higher level of circulating cortisol. Higher levels indicate that the pituitary gland releases more Adrenocorticotropic hormone resulting from tumor causing symptoms associated with depression. b) Dopamine imbalance is congruent with MDD. Low levels of Dopamine have been linked to several mental health disorders, the most common condition being depression . Schizophrenia ( Li et al., 2021). c) Patients experiencing an anomaly in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. These results in a powerful effect on both the brain and the body with higher chances of resulting in physical and mental illness leading to depression. d) Patients experiencing a higher ventricular brain ratio. The unbalanced ventricular - brain ratio affects the patient's brain leading to depression ( Li et al., 2021) . 4. An episode of major depression is defined as a period of time lasting at least 2 weeks. List at least 5 symptoms required for the episode to occur. Be specific. a) Depressed mood. This comes with a feeling of intense hopelessness and sadness that keeps occurring frequently. These symptoms may seem more irritable in men, teens, and children. b) Loss of interest. Generally, individuals experiencing major depression may lose interest in physical activities. The activities include normal practices such as daily chores, hobbies, and other work ( Keilp et al., 2018).

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4 c) Agitation. This symptom is notable and expressed by restlessness or slow-down effects. d) Fatigue. Patients experience a loss of energy that is more than normal which cannot be described by lack of sleep or reduced sleep quality ( Keilp et al., 2018). e) Poor concentration. Depression affects both physically and mentally. Experiencing trouble focusing on work, completing simple tasks could be signs of depression. 5. List 3 classes of drugs, with a corresponding example for each class, that precipitate insomnia. Be specific. a) Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are a typical example of sertraline. These drugs are important in easing moderating severe depression and symptoms. b) Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are typical examples of venlafaxine. These are crucial medications in treating depression and can also manage anxiety disorders associated with insomnia. c) Serotonin Receptor Antagonist vortioxetine ( Krysta et al., 2019).

5 References Field, T. (2018). Postnatal anxiety prevalence, predictors and effects on development: A narrative review. Infant Behavior and Development , 51 , 24-32.DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.02.005 Hillemacher, T., & Frieling, H. (2019). Pharmacotherapeutic options for co-morbid depression and alcohol dependence. Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy , 20 (5), 547-569.DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2018.1561870 Keilp, J. G., Ellis, S. P., Gorlyn, M., Burke, A. K., Oquendo, M. A., Mann, J. J., & Grunebaum, M. F. (2018). Suicidal ideation declines with improvement in the subjective symptoms of major depression. Journal of affective disorders , 227 , 65-70.DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.09.018 Krystal, A. D., Prather, A. A., & Ashbrook, L. H. (2019). The assessment and management of insomnia: an update. World Psychiatry , 18 (3), 337-352.DOI: 10.1002/wps.20674 Li, Z., Ruan, M., Chen, J., & Fang, Y. (2021). Major depressive disorder: advances in neuroscience research and translational applications. Neuroscience bulletin , 37 (6), 863- 880.DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00638-3

Short Answer Assessment week 8

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