Worried Sick: Antidepressants, Stress, and Inflammation

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Antidepressants are useful for treating many disorders beyond clinical depression. In this month’s column, the concept that the main therapeutic effects of antidepressants are due to their stress-buffering properties will be discussed. Anxiety, depression, and stress are inextricably linked. Stress is operationally defined as perceived threat in combination with an inability to control the stress.¹