Depression is a major concern, largely because suicide is a major concern. Most experts believe that helping the depressed fight depression is one way of making them less likely to commit suicide. It is for this purpose that a variety of antidepressants were put forth in the market, attempting to help people overcome the chemical imbalances in their brains. According to most statistics, these medications are actually effective in correcting the neural imbalances and helping people adjust to their lives. However, in some cases, some drugs don't appear to have any effect at all, even after prolonged use. The doctors attending to them would occasionally switch medications, but these often happen only after a prolonged period of using an ineffective drug.

For many years, the main problem with this was that no one was sure why some antidepressants worked on some people, while others didn't. Only recently has genetics, one of the many factors that science believes can contribute to one's risk of becoming depressed, been pinpointed as a possible cause of medications failing to work as they should. Based on the findings revealed by the Institute for Psychiatry in Munich, there are certain genetic triggers and factors that contribute not only to the body's ability to resist the effects of antidepressants, but also the risks of developing possible side effects because of using those drugs.

The German team behind these findings believe that, once the appropriate genetic triggers have been found and isolated, then psychiatrists can administer tests to determine which antidepressants would be best suited for a person. They believe it will also be the first step in developing medication for depression that would be completely personalized, with procedures and drugs attuned to help specific patients combat their illness. Some of them have expressed the opinion that the current ?one size fits all? strategy is effective in combating depression, but that there are cases where the system is not optimized to care for patients.

Currently, the research team is not yet sure why certain drugs are blocked by the gene, while others are able to work without any interruption. The theory is that this ?denial? has something to do with the chemical make-up that the medication triggers. So far, 11 variations of the gene have been found, with each one showing a tendency to block the effectiveness of a certain type or group of antidepressants, but allowing others to work without any hindrance. It is believed that, once a simple test has been developed, psychiatrists will be able to administer the tested to patients, making it easier for them to prescribe the correct drug the first time around. This is estimated to lower the chances of someone not responding to the medication by an estimated 30%.

Such a decrease would be welcomed by the global medical community. For many years, cases where depression treatments have proven ineffective have become a major concern. If the tests really can help to reduce both the risks of a drug failing to work properly and the possibility of the patient showing side effects, then it is likely to see widespread use as soon as it can be verified.