Consumer Reports said recently that anti-depressant medications are the preferred method for Americans seeking treatment for depression and anxiety. The numbers showed 80 percent chose medication over traditional psychotherapy.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) were the most desirable class of anti-depressant medications such as Prozac and Celexa. The drugs are also distributed by their generic names fluoxetine and citalopram.
The reported cited, however, that psychotherapy alone benefited patients as equally as medication after at least seven sessions.
The survey involved 1,500 participants who said the newer drugs were less preferable due to side effects and expense.
Other established brands of SSRIs include Zoloft, manufactured by Pfizer Inc, and Lexapro, from Forest Laboratories Inc.
Some of the newer anti-depressants on the market are serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which reportedly cause more side effects than the SSRIs.
Examples of SNRIs are Effexor, a Pfizer drug, and Cymbalta, distributed by Eli Lilly and Co.
