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Comprehensive and state of the art, the second edition of Pharmacotherapy of Depression offers major revisions of every chapter and the addition of new chapters by expert contributors. The first chapter reviews the neurobiology of depression, which lays the groundwork for understanding the mechanisms of action of antidepressants. In the next chapter, a review of the general principles guiding the diagnosis and medication treatment of unipolar depression is provided. The clinical pharmacology of antidepressants is reviewed in some detail, supplemented by tables that provide information on dosing, indications, and metabolism. Augmentation strategies are reviewed, including the use of non-traditional agents. The chapters that follow next address the use of antidepressants in special populations, such as the elderly and depressed individuals with psychosis, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, and post traumatic stress disorder. The complex issues involving the diagnosis and treatment of depression during pregnancy is thoroughly reviewed in Chapter 8 and provides a synthesis of the scientific literature in the area, one that is noted for contradictory and controversial findings, as well as guidelines for prescribing. The next chapter then provides an overview of the treatment of depression in the pediatric population, highlighting clinical concerns such as suicide risk. The book concludes with two chapters at the interface of medicine and psychiatry in the treatment of mood disorders: managing depression in primary care settings and depression associated with medical illnesses. The outstanding clinician-scientists who have contributed to this volume are all leaders in their fields and represent a broad spectrum of renowned institutions. A timely contribution to the literature, The Pharmacotherapy of Depression, Second Edition, offers busy clinicians from many disciplines a strong scientific foundation that seamlessly transitions into practical recommendations for clinicalpractice. The result is another gold-standard guide to the safe and effective use of the latest antidepressant medications.

For many years, we have taught clinical psychopharmacology to residents in psychiatry, neurology, and medicine, as well as to medical students, nurses, psychologists, counselors, and social workers. We have also maintained active clinical practices and research programs. It is our hope that these experiences have produced a book that will serve as a resource in antidepressant therapy for clinicians from many different disciplines. The purpose of Pharmacotherapy of Depression is to provide a compreh- sive overview of antidepressant therapy for clinicians. The contents have evolved from our years of seminars, lectures, and case discussions with our trainees and from our continuing medical education programs. We have tried to provide sufficient depth in reviews of the research literature to support clinical rec- mendations without burdening the reader with information that has little r- evance to the clinical use of antidepressants. We are indebted to the outstanding clinician scientists who have contributed to this volume and to our students who have guided us in its development. We hope that the reader will find that the final product represents a solid foundation for clinicians who are, or will be, prescribing antidepressants. It comes very close to replicating the formal didactics that our trainees experience. Although in practice we supplement this with intensive supervision of patient management, we hope that Pharmacotherapy of Depression will stand alone as a guide to the use of medications for the treatment of depressive illness.