Topic Page: Medications

NIMH Pages About Medications

Publications About Medications

Treatment of Children with Mental Illness
Treatment ChildrenAnswers to frequently asked questions about the treatment of mental disorders in children. En Español
Mental Health Medications
Mental Health MedicationsThis guide describes the types of medications used to treat mental disorders, side effects of medications, directions for taking medications, and includes any FDA warnings.

Science News About Medications

NIH Funds Industry Collaborations to Identify New Uses for Existing Compounds
Press Release •
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NIH Funds Industry Collaborations to Identify New Uses for Existing Compounds

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Ketamine Cousin Rapidly Lifts Depression Without Side Effects
Science Update •
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NMDA or glutamate receptor modulators as antidepressants have come of age. Human clinical studies demonstrated that ketamine can ward off depressive symptoms within 2 hours of administration and last for several days. Yet serious side effects are attached to this drug, including excessive sleepiness, hallucinations, and substance abuse behavior.

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Long-term Course of ADHD Diagnosed in Preschool Years Can be Chronic and Severe
Science Update •
preschool-aged boy

Long-term Course of ADHD Diagnosed in Preschool Years Can be Chronic and Severe

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Gene Variants Implicated in Extreme Weight Gain Associated with Antipsychotics
Science Update •
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A small study suggests that people with certain genetic variants may be more susceptible to extreme weight gain if they take certain antipsychotic medications.

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Brain Signal ID’s Responders to Fast-Acting Antidepressant
Press Release •
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Biomarkers identified in research on a fast-acting antidepressant can signal who will respond to the medication and are providing clues to how it works to lift depression.

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Posts About Medications

Experimental Medicine

By Thomas Insel on June 12, 2012

Dr. Insel discusses the crisis of medication development for mental disorders.

Balancing Immediate Needs with Future Innovation

By Thomas Insel on January 26, 2012

Dr. Insel responds to discussion from the National Advisory Mental Health Council concerning the need to balance research funding for basic science and mental health services.

Treatment Development: Where do we go from here?

By Thomas Insel on January 05, 2012

Dr. Insel discusses opportunities for treatment development.

NIMH’s Top 10 Research Advances of 2011

By Thomas Insel on December 23, 2011

Dr. Insel shares NIMH’s Top 10 Research Advances for 2011.

Treatment Development: Where do we go from here?

By Thomas Insel on December 22, 2011

Dr. Insel discusses opportunities for treatment development.


Meeting Summaries About Medications

The 13th NIMH Biennial Research Conference on the Economics of Mental Health
September 25, 2006 – September 26, 2006
Bethesda, Maryland

In September 2006, the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR) sponsored a national research conference on mental health economics.
NIMH/National Business Group on Health Roundtable on Medication Management in Employer-Based Behavioral Health Systems
July 01, 2006
Washington, DC

The Services Research and Clinical Epidemiology Branch of the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research held this one-day meeting to identify relevant research findings for employers and to discuss new opportunities to bridge the gap between research and practice.
NCDEU Meeting
June 01, 2006
Boca Raton, Florida

Named after the original NIMH New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit clinical trials program, the NCDEU meeting has grown and evolved over the years to include a broad range of academic and industry investigators, practitioners, and NIMH and FDA staff.

Director’s Updates About Medications

NIMH Perspective on Diagnosing and Treating Bipolar Disorder in Children

September 03, 2007

A recently published research paper (September 2007, Archives of General Psychiatry) reported a 40-fold increase in the rate of diagnosing bipolar disorder in youth over the past decade.

NIMH Perspective on Antipsychotic Reimbursement: Using Results from the CATIE Cost Effectiveness Study

December 01, 2006

The recent publication (December 1, 2006, American Journal of Psychiatry) of the cost-effectiveness results from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials in Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) has raised questions among advocates, families, and clinicians about reimbursement policies for antipsychotic medications.

NIMH Perspective on Treating Alzheimer’s Patients with Antipsychotic Medications

October 12, 2006

The recent publication of phase 1 results from the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Trials in Intervention Effectiveness for Alzheimer's disease (CATIE-AD) in the New England Journal of Medicine provides new information about the use of several "atypical" antipsychotic medications for the treatment of psychotic symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease.