Antidepressant Apathy Syndrome: Understanding Symptoms & Causes

Feelings of apathy resulting from antidepressant use can interfere with everyday life, according to the Annals of General psychiatry. Patients receiving treatment for depression may seem to have little ambition, motivation, interest in activities or willpower.

Definition

• Antidepressant apathy syndrome is the persistence of apathetic feelings and behavior in patients being treated for depression with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Causes

• Scientists believe antidepressant apathy syndrome is related to the use of SSRIs for depression and a dysfunction in the frontal lobe of the brain caused by serotonin abnormalities. Serotonin is a neurochemical that affects mood.

Research

• Little research has been conducted on antidepressant apathy syndrome. Apathy is known to persist in these patients, despite improvement in other depression symptoms.

Treatment

• MedWire News reports that antidepressant apathy syndrome may be treated with another prescription medication called olanzapine in patients taking SSRIs. Researchers caution, however, that more study is needed on this issue.

Expert Insight

• Since antidepressant apathy syndrome can interfere with the effectiveness of SSRI treatments, doctors recommend considering possible solutions. Discuss possible options for the alleviation of antidepressant apathy syndrome with the doctor who prescribed the medication.