Meeting Of The Minds: Exploring New And Old Worldviews On Depression

By Dr. Mark Opler, PhD, MPH, Chief Research Officer

In 2019, the treatment of depression changed forever, the result of decades of research by academia, industry and government agencies.

What happened? The US FDA approved esketamine. It was a landmark moment: Approval of this new rapid-acting antidepressant formulated for intranasal use marked the beginning of a new era.

At present, depression—and major depressive disorder in particular—affects a startlingly high percentage of the population. In the United States, the estimated lifetime risk of a major depressive episode is almost 30%.¹ Roughly 30% of U.S. adults with depression reported moderate or extreme difficulty with work, home and social activities due to depression.² Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the third-leading cause of disability worldwide.³

Compounding these public health challenges is the fact that available treatments have thus far been inadequate; about a third of Americans with MDD aren’t receiving any treatment, while only a little more than half reported using medication.^4,5

To fully understand the reason this class of medications holds such promise for the future, it helps to understand the history of depression pharmacotherapy.