About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about different biological models of depression and available drug treatments, focusing in particular on: (i) the biological factors that are thought to contribute to depression, including monoamine levels in the brain, genetics, physical illness and hippocampal atrophy; (ii) the different drugs used to treat depression, including monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs); (iii) electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as an alternative biological treatment for depression.

About the lecturer

Professor Linda Gask trained in medicine at the University of Edinburgh and in psychiatry in the North West of England. She was a 2000-2001 Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy based at the Center for Health Studies in Seattle. She has also worked as a consultant for the World Health Organisation and has been a zonal representative for the World Psychiatric Association.