MENTAL HEALTH

Neurotransmitters
• Serotonin
• sleep, appetite or mood
• Dopamine
• learning movement, motivation and drive, attention, pleasure and reward
• Norepinephrine
• Sympathetic nervous system
• Fight or flight response
• Alertness and arousal
• Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)
• Inhibitory neurotransmitter
• Sleep, muscle tension and sedation
• Acetylcholine
• Parasympathetic nervous system (rest or repose)
• Histamine
• Sleep-wake cycle, memory, learning, pain, reward

Drugs for Mental Health are

Drugs for Sleep & Anxiety
• Sedative-Hypnotics
• Benzodiazepines
• Benzodiazepine Agonist
Antidepressants and Mood Stabilizers
• SSRI, SNRI, Tricyclic Antidepressants, MAO
Inhibitors, Typical antidepressants
Antipsychotics
• Typical vs. atypical antipsychotics

Benzodiazepines
(Alprazolam, Diazepam,
Lorazepam)
Benzodiazepine Agonist
(Buspirone)
• Action
• Produce a calming effect
• Act with GABA receptors to enhance
GABA effects, to reduce anxiety and
muscle tension
• Uses
• Relieve anxiety, tension, and fear
• May be used to manage alcohol
withdrawal symptoms; used
preoperatively; used to relieve muscle
spasm

Sedative-
Hypnotic
Medications
Benzodiazepines
(lorazepam, Estazolam)

Benzodiazepine Agonist
(Eszopiclone, Zolpidem)
• Action/Uses Sedative agent: relaxes the patient and
allows him or her to sleep
•• Hypnotic agent Hypnotic agent produces sleep in the
patient
• Used to relax patients and induce sleep
before medical testing and surgical
procedures; used to treat insomnia caused
by mental and physical stress.

Depression=low serotonin and norepinephrine Anxiety is common

• ↓ GABA
• Mild, moderate or severe
• Feelings of unease, worry or apprehension
• Increased stress physical and behavioral symptoms
• Anxiety disorders: general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder,
panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, PTSD.
• Problematic when it interferes with a person’s ability to
perform activities of daily living
Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Inc.

Antianxiety
Agents, Cont.