Mental Health Research is Stagnant. Here's Why.
Mark Rasenick, Ph.D., University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine
…Part of the problem with the science of antidepressants is a lack of specific “targets.” Essentially, a target is a biological process or area that a drug is created to address. The newer chemotherapy drugs, for instance, target specific enzymes and pathways involved in the growth of individual tumors. The more specific a target is, the better the drug is likely to work.
In psychiatry research, however, we haven’t come up with a new target
in ages; we’re still chasing the same ones we were working on decades ago.
Care for Your Mind acknowledges and appreciates the collaboration of the National Network of Depression Centers and the American Brain Coalition in developing this post.