The Road to Remission: Optimizing Pharmacological Treatment of Unipolar Depression

Patients with major depressive disorder are much more likely to achieve response than remission, yet true wellness is the ultimate goal. If one understands both the neurobiology behind the spectrum of symptoms that are associated with depressive disorders, and the mechanisms behind the spectrum of drugs characterized as antidepressants, then it is possible to apply informed strategies to the selection of first-line treatment as well as the management of residual symptoms and side effects, which ideally will lead to hastened remission and return to wellness.