Medical Pharmacology Practice Questions: Anti-Depressant Agents

Which one(s) of the following statements concerning antidepressant medication and clinical considerations is/are correct?
1. The treatment of choice for depressed patients who are agitated with high suicide risk is electroconvulsive treatment.
2. The treatment of choice for depressed patients who are agitated and exhibit high suicide risk is newer, second-generation antidepressant medication.
About two thirds of patients with depression exhibit a reduction of about 50% in depressive symptoms during an eight-week antidepressant treatment regimen.
1. True
2. False
Generally, should a patient not respond to an antidepressant drug during an eight week trial, a reasonable next step would be switching to an antidepressant agent likely exhibiting a different mechanism of action.
1. True
2. False
A partial response to an antidepressant agent may require the addition of other drugs including which one(s) of the following?
1. Triiodothyronine
2. An atypical antipsychotic drugs such as olanzapine
3. Both
4. Neither
Lifelong treatment with an antidepressant drug should never be considered.
1. True
2. False
Reduction of depression relapse risk might be reduced by which one(s) of the following intervention(s)?
1. Behavioral activation therapy
2. Cognitive behavioral therapy
3. Both
4. Neither
Administration of antidepressant medication is not recommended as monotherapy in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
1. True
2. False
For seriously depressed individuals, risks of not being treated by an effective antidepressant agent appears to outweigh the risk of being treated with one.
1. True
2. False
The diagnostic conclusion of depression is mainly dependent on clinical interview.
1. True
2. False
Clinical presentation(s) associated with major depressive disorder include/includes:
1. Continual depressed mood for at least two weeks
2. Reduced interest or pleasure in most activities
3. Both
4. Neither