The monoamine theory of depression as a target to effective pharmacotherapy

Abstract Depression is one of the greatest current mental disorders. Depressive disorder may affect everyone and it causes difficulties in social functioning and may lead to death via suicide. Depression is a serious problem because number of its cases is increasing, especially after pandemic of COVID-19. The oldest and the most approved theory which explains mechanism of depression’s development is a monoamine hypothesis. Effectiveness of most antidepressant drugs based on this theory. It assumes that the typical symptoms of depression are results of changed concentration of monoamines or incorrect monoaminergic transmission. The aim of this article is to present drugs which have influence on level of biogenic amines and are used in treatment of depressive disorders. Some of those drugs are the first choice in cure of this disease. In spite of adverse effects and often delayed onset of action of pharmacotherapy, it is still the first line in treatment of depression.