Depression in the Paediatric Population: Current Therapeutic Context and Challenges to Innovation

Authors

  • Ana Rita Rodrigues Laboratório de Sociofarmácia e Saúde Pública / Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6755-2980
  • Filipe Palavra Centro de Desenvolvimento da Criança – Neuropediatria / Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, Instituto de Investigação Clínica e Biomédica de Coimbra (iCBR), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Centro Académico Clínico de Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2165-130X
  • Victoria Bell Laboratório de Sociofarmácia e Saúde Pública / Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2728-9134
  • Filipa Mascarenhas-Melo Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Tecnologias do Medicamento, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0786-6280
  • Luis Almeida Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, Instituto de Investigação Clínica e Biomédica de Coimbra (iCBR), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4861-8649
  • Francisco Veiga Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Tecnologias do Medicamento, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1041-0068

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46531/sinapse/AR/230029/2023

Keywords:

Antidepressive Agents/ therapeutic use, Child, Depression/therapy, Depressive Disorder/therapy, Depressive Disorder, Major/ drug therapy, Vortioxetine/therapeutic use

Abstract

Major depression, as a clinical condition associated with the highest rate of disability worldwide, presents very particular contours when it affects the pediatric population. The biochemical and pathophysiological changes associated with depression are naturally influenced by socioeconomic aspects and family dynamics, which contributes to great heterogeneity and variability in the symptoms expressed by children and adolescents. The COVID-19 pandemic, following the implementation of the necessary measures to mitigate the virus infection, has worsened mental illness in the general population, including the pediatric population, significantly contributing to an increase in cases of anxiety, depression and even of post-traumatic stress. This review aims to systematize the pathophysiological aspects of depression that manifests early in life, as well as its current therapeutic context, shedding some light on pharmacogenetics and the way in which multimodal drugs are designed to be used in the pediatric population. A search was conducted in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases, and only articles written in English and Portuguese published in journals indexed to the Web of Science were included in this review, as well as current guidelines for pharmacological prescription in pediatric depression. The results made it possible to compile current data on the efficacy and safety of medications used to treat this clinical situation and discuss the current paradigm of mental health in pediatrics.

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Published

2024-01-27

How to Cite

1.
Rodrigues AR, Palavra F, Bell V, Mascarenhas-Melo F, Almeida L, Veiga F. Depression in the Paediatric Population: Current Therapeutic Context and Challenges to Innovation. Sinapse [Internet]. 2024 Jan. 27 [cited 2024 Nov. 23];23(4):198-206. Available from: https://sinapse.pt/index.php/journal/article/view/4

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Review Article