Skip to main content

How do antidepressants work? - Neil R. Jeyasingam

3,907,025 Views

8,148 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

In the 1950s, the discovery of two new drugs sparked what would become a multi-billion dollar market for antidepressants. Neither drug was intended to treat depression at all— many doctors and scientists believed psychotherapy was the only approach to treatment. Neil R. Jeyasingam details the decades-long journey that followed and how it revolutionized our understanding of depression.

Psychotherapy used to be the only treatment for depression, but now there are many other treatments for depression. Do we need psychotherapy anymore?

Sign in to answer question

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Neil R. Jeyasingam
  • Director Skirmanta Jakaitė
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Art Director Skirmanta Jakaitė
  • Animator Skirmanta Jakaitė
  • Storyboard Artist Skirmanta Jakaitė
  • Compositor Skirmanta Jakaitė
  • Composer Salil Bhayani
  • Sound Designer Spencer Ward, cAMP Studio
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Production Coordinator Abdallah Ewis
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

More from Mind Matters