{"id":626399,"date":"2024-01-24T09:30:50","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T14:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=626399"},"modified":"2025-09-03T11:52:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:52:15","slug":"common-depression-medication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/common-depression-medication\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the most common depression medications?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you need support during a short-term period of grief and loss or you live with <\/span>long-term depression<\/span><\/a>, your healthcare provider may recommend the use of an antidepressant. Medications like SSRIs, SNRIs, atypical antidepressants, TCAs, and MAOIs are primarily used to alleviate depression symptoms like sadness, hopelessness, difficulty concentrating, and loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. But some antidepressants work for other conditions, too, including <\/span>anxiety<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>insomnia<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>fibromyalgia<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this guide, learn the most common antidepressants, how they work, how fast they relieve symptoms, and what conditions they treat best.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the most commonly prescribed antidepressant?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Research indicates that Zoloft (sertraline)<\/a> is the most commonly prescribed antidepressant in recent years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Zoloft coupons<\/a><\/p>\n

5 most common types of depression medications<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are several classes of depression medications to choose from. Effectiveness varies from person to person, so there is technically no \u201cbest\u201d or \u201cstrongest\u201d antidepressant, says<\/span> Peter Zafirides<\/span><\/a>, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of <\/span>Central Ohio Behavioral Medicine<\/span><\/a> in Columbus, Ohio. The right medication is the one that alleviates your symptoms with minimal side effects.<\/span><\/p>\n

The following are the five most common types of antidepressants in the order they are most often prescribed.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>What are antidepressants<\/b><\/a>?<\/b><\/p>\n

1. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)<\/span><\/h3>\n

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)<\/span><\/a> are antidepressants that work by increasing brain levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter\u2014a type of chemical that acts as a messenger by carrying information from nerve cells in the brain to the nerve cells in the body. Serotonin plays a crucial role in mood and functions such as sleep, wound healing, and digestion.<\/span><\/p>\n

SSRIs are the most common depression medication for depressive disorders, such as <\/span>major depressive disorder (MDD)<\/span>, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), <\/span>bipolar disorder<\/span><\/a>, and panic disorder, says <\/span>Erika Gray<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> Pharm.D., chief medical officer and co-founder of <\/span>Toolbox Genomics<\/span><\/a>. Medications in this drug class include:<\/span><\/p>\n