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The pharmacogenomics of depression

The Pharmacogenomics Journal volume 1, pages 175–177 (2001)Cite this article

The contemporary treatment of depression is marked by the interplay of clinical judgment, research, serendipity, and marketing.1 Depression is a severe disorder that is the main cause of suicide. Suicide is the eighth cause of death in the US (the third cause of death for those between the ages of 15–24 years and the fourth for the age group 25–44 years).2 The annual cost of depression to the US economy exceeds 50 billion dollars.3

Even though there are no biological markers of depression the clinical presentation is very characteristic and used to make a reliable diagnosis. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the Amercan Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV),4 the cardinal symptoms of major depression are depressed mood or loss of interest in pleasurable activities (anhedonia) that occur nearly every day for at least 2 weeks, in conjunction with other characteristic symptoms such as alterations in sleep, food intake, body weight, decreased attention, inability to concentrate, feelings of guilt and suicidality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics and Interdepartmental Clinical Pharmacology Center, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    J Licinio & M-L Wong

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  1. J Licinio
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  2. M-L Wong
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Correspondence to J Licinio.

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Licinio, J., Wong, ML. The pharmacogenomics of depression. Pharmacogenomics J 1, 175–177 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.tpj.6500047

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