Folate and Depression

Unresolved Symptoms are
Common After Initial
Antidepressant Monotherapy

Almost 2/3 of patients have lingering symptoms or no response after their first antidepressant treatment.⁶ Some people may feel less sadness and find they cry less often but still have physical symptoms like headaches and backaches. Others may be less tired because they are sleeping better but could still have a difficult time paying attention and concentrating. People suffering from depression who do not achieve complete remission of symptoms are more likely to relapse and have a poorer long-term prognosis.^7,8

Why Some People Have an Inadequate Response to Antidepressants

There are several reasons why an antidepressant may lead to a partial response or non-response. One is that the brain is not developing enough neurotransmitters due to insufficient folate in the brain.⁹ This means some people might not produce enough neurotransmitters for an antidepressant to work fully. Therefore impairment in the development and/or release of neurotransmitters can lead to an inadequate response from an antidepressant.