Depressive symptoms are a frequent component of
schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses. The treatment of
psychoses with conventional (typical)
antipsychotic agents may worsen depressive symptoms and many patients only partially respond to treatment. Typical
antipsychotics are also associated with serious side effects, such as extrapyramidal symptoms, and sexual and menstrual dysfunction. Many of these pitfalls, however, can be avoided with atypical
antipsychotics.
Quetiapine, an atypical
antipsychotic with proven efficacy in the treatment of psychotic symptoms in
schizophrenia, also has efficacy for treating depressive symptoms in patients with
schizophrenia and other
psychiatric disorders. This suggests that
quetiapine may also be effective in treating and preventing depressive symptoms in patients with
affective disorders, such as
bipolar disorder. A review of the evidence base supports the hypothesis that
quetiapine does not cause treatment-emergent depression and may even be useful in the treatment and prevention of depressive symptoms in patients with
bipolar disorder.