Phenomenology and treatment of agitation.
Agitation is a troublesome, common symptom in major depression that can be difficult to manage. It is sometimes a side effect of antidepressant treatment and may occasionally represent a mixed bipolar episode. If agitation fails to respond to an antidepressant alone, treatment may be augmented with a benzodiazepine, a neuroleptic, or lithium. Preliminary evidence indicates that divalproex, which has been found useful for bipolar disorder and for agitation associated with Alzheimer's disease, may also be effective for agitated depression. A controlled trial is now underway.
Schatzberg
A F
AF
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif 94305-5548, USA.
DeBattista
C
C
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D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D008094:Lithium; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014635:Valproic Acid