Treatment of mental health disorders through medication has its own pros and cons. Some advantages of the drugs include their ability to control symptoms effectively. The regulation of mood acts as an effect of the drug, while it also improves the functioning of everyday activities in the lives of people who are facing depression. The research study points out that 54% of adults do get better when on medication (Cuijpers et al., 926).
Medicines also improve the quality of life by reducing symptoms associated with mental health problems. Mood stabilizers are very important to those people living with bipolar disorder because they help in the prevention of extreme mood swings, hence enabling people to attain stability both in their personal and professional lives. Integrating the medication with psychotherapy helps to devise comprehensive treatment approaches. In such cases, a combined approach of medication and psychotherapy, known as pharmacotherapy, is highly effective.
On the other hand, psychiatric medication also has a downside, which is connected to the wide range of side effects. For instance, antipsychotic drugs used in the management of schizophrenia affect the general health of the patient in terms of eliciting weight gain and metabolic changes (Lähteenvuo and Tiihonen 1279). Despite advances made in sensitization and awareness of mental health, some stigma is still attached to the use of psychiatric medications.
Medication, in my view, is one valuable perspective of treatment in mental health, but it should never stand alone. In the context of depression, while no single psychosocial intervention stands as the primary line of treatment, various approaches can be employed to establish a robust social support system. Such strategies aim to foster medication compliance, mitigate lingering symptoms, recognize early indicators of relapse, and bolster functional rehabilitation (Rolin et al., 710). Great care must be taken regarding side effects.
Works Cited
Cuijpers, Pim, Argyris Stringaris, and Miranda Wolpert. “Treatment Outcomes for Depression: Challenges and Opportunities.” The Lancet Psychiatry, vol. 7, no. 11, 2020, pp. 925-927.
Lähteenvuo, Markku, and Jari Tiihonen. “Antipsychotic Polypharmacy for the Management of Schizophrenia: Evidence and Recommendations.” Drugs, vol. 81, no. 11,2021, pp. 1273-1284.
Rolin, D., Whelan, J., & Montano, C. B. “Is It Depression or Is It Bipolar Depression?” Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, vol. 32, no. 10, 2020, pp. 703-713.
