NIMH Pages about Medications

Publications about Medications

Treatment of Children with Mental Illness

Answers to frequently asked questions about the treatment of mental disorders in children. En Español

Mental Health Medications

This guide describes the types of medications used to treat mental disorders, side effects of medications, directions for taking medications, and includes any FDA warnings.

Science News about Medications

Perinatal Antidepressant Stunts Brain Development in Rats

Press Release • October 24, 2011
Rats exposed to an antidepressant just before and after birth showed substantial brain abnormalities and behaviors, in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Prescribed stimulant use for ADHD continues to rise steadily

Press Release • September 28, 2011
The prescribed use of stimulant medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rose slowly but steadily from 1996 to 2008, according to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Switching Antipsychotics May Reduce Metabolic Risks

Science Update • July 22, 2011
Patients experiencing cardiovascular or metabolic side effects while taking an antipsychotic medication may fare better if they switch to a different medication provided they are closely monitored, according to an NIMH-funded study.

Drug Boosts Growth Factor to Jump-start Rapid Antidepressant Response

Press Release • June 22, 2011
A study in mice has pinpointed a pivotal new player in triggering the rapid antidepressant response produced by ketamine. By deactivating a little-known enzyme, the drug takes the brakes off rapid synthesis of a key growth factor thought to lift depression, say researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Rapid Antidepressant Works by Boosting Brain’s Connections 

Science Update • September 09, 2010
An experimental drug that lifts depression in hours likely works by rapidly stimulating connections between brain cells, a study in rats has revealed. The drug, called ketamine, quickly generated such synapses in a brain circuit implicated in human depression by triggering a key enzyme.

More Science News about Medications

Posts about Medications

January 26, 2012

Balancing Immediate Needs with Future Innovation

Posted by Thomas Insel

January 05, 2012

Treatment Development: Where do we go from here?

Posted by Thomas Insel

December 23, 2011

NIMH’s Top 10 Research Advances of 2011

Posted by Thomas Insel

December 14, 2011

Treatment Development: The Past 50 Years

Posted by Thomas Insel

Dr. Insel discusses the state of psychiatric research and development (R&D) in the public and private sectors

December 06, 2011

Antidepressants: A complicated picture

Posted by Thomas Insel

Dr. Insel discusses the complicated nature of research on the efficacy antidepressants.

More Posts about Medications

Meeting Summaries about Medications

The 13th NIMH Biennial Research Conference on the Economics of Mental Health

September 25, 2006 – September 26, 2006
Bethesda, Maryland
In September 2006, the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR) sponsored a national research conference on mental health economics.

NIMH/National Business Group on Health Roundtable on Medication Management in Employer-Based Behavioral Health Systems

July 01, 2006
Washington, DC
The Services Research and Clinical Epidemiology Branch of the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research held this one-day meeting to identify relevant research findings for employers and to discuss new opportunities to bridge the gap between research and practice.

NCDEU Meeting

June 01, 2006
Boca Raton, Florida
Named after the original NIMH New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit clinical trials program, the NCDEU meeting has grown and evolved over the years to include a broad range of academic and industry investigators, practitioners, and NIMH and FDA staff.

Director’s Updates about Medications

NIMH Perspective on Diagnosing and Treating Bipolar Disorder in Children

September 03, 2007

A recently published research paper (September 2007, Archives of General Psychiatry) reported a 40-fold increase in the rate of diagnosing bipolar disorder in youth over the past decade.

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NIMH Perspective on Antipsychotic Reimbursement: Using Results from the CATIE Cost Effectiveness Study

December 01, 2006

The recent publication (December 1, 2006, American Journal of Psychiatry) of the cost-effectiveness results from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials in Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) has raised questions among advocates, families, and clinicians about reimbursement policies for antipsychotic medications.

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NIMH Perspective on Treating Alzheimer’s Patients with Antipsychotic Medications

October 12, 2006

The recent publication of phase 1 results from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials in Intervention Effectiveness for Alzheimer's disease (CATIE-AD) in the New England Journal of Medicine provides new information about the use of several "atypical" antipsychotic medications for the treatment of psychotic symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

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