Prozac and the New Antidepressants, revised ed.: What You Need to Know About Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Serzone, Vestra, Celexa, St. John’s Wort, and Others

From our regular book review column.

The lay public has a tremendous amount of interest and curiosity about depression and the "new" antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). People gather information from friends, relatives, and coworkers and from television, newspapers, and popular magazines. A patient’s chief complaint in a new psychiatric evaluation is sometimes, "Do I need to be treated with an SSRI?" All psychiatrists find themselves, for better or worse, making an effort to educate patients about the treatment of depression and the use of the new antidepressant drugs. In this context of public curiosity andmedia attention, it is surprising how few good monographs exist on the subject for a lay audience.