McKenna's Pharmacology for Nursing, 2e

22

Psychotherapeutic agents

Learning objectives Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Define the term psychotherapeutic agent and list conditions that psychotherapeutic agents are used to treat. 2. Describe the therapeutic actions, indications, pharmacokinetics, contraindications, most common adverse reactions and important drug–drug interactions associated with each class of psychotherapeutic agent. 3. Discuss the use of psychotherapeutic agents across the lifespan. 4. Compare and contrast the prototype drugs for each class of psychotherapeutic agent with other drugs in that class and with drugs in the other classes of psychotherapeutic agents. 5. Outline the care considerations and teaching needs for people receiving each class of psychotherapeutic agents.

Test your current knowledge of psychotherapeutic agents with a PrepU Practice Quiz!

Glossary of key terms antipsychotic: drug used to treat disorders involving thought processes; dopamine-receptor blocker that helps affected people to organise their thoughts and respond appropriately to stimuli attention-deficit disorder: behavioural syndrome characterised by an inability to concentrate for longer than a few minutes and excessive activity bipolar disorder: behavioural disorder that involves extremes of depression alternating with hyperactivity and excitement major tranquilliser: former name of antipsychotic drugs; the name is no longer used because it implies that the primary effect of these drugs is sedation, which is no longer thought to be the desired therapeutic action mania: state of hyperexcitability; one phase of bipolar disorders, which alternate between periods of severe depression and mania narcolepsy: mental disorder characterised by daytime sleepiness and periods of sudden loss of wakefulness neuroleptic: a drug with many associated neurological adverse effects that is used to treat disorders that involve thought processes (e.g. schizophrenia) schizophrenia: the most common type of psychosis; characteristics include hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, speech abnormalities and affective problems

ANTIPSYCHOTIC/NEUROLEPTIC DRUGS Typical antipsychotics chlorpromazine fluphenazine

ANTIMANIC DRUGS aripiprazole lamotrigine lithium

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM STIMULANTS atomoxetine

Atypical antipsychotics amisulpride aripiprazole clozapine olanzapine paliperidone

dexamphetamine methylphenidate modafinil

olanzapine quetiapine ziprasidone

haloperidol pericyazine prochlorperazine trifluoperazine zuclopenthixol

quetiapine risperidone ziprasidone