Monitoring the use of antidepressants: the role of mental health nurses

Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed psychiatric medicine. For some years there has been an upward trajectory in the numbers of prescriptions provided across primary and secondary care. Recent evidence has emphasised the issues associated with long-term antidepressant prescriptions, such as the side effect burden and withdrawal effects. Supporting safe and effective medicines management is an integral part of the mental health nursing role, but the complexity of these medicines and their effects can be overlooked. This article aims to update nurses on the main principles of practice in relation to antidepressants.