Introductory Chapter: Antidepressants - Preclinical, Clinical and Translational Aspects

In 2011 two extensive studies were published about prevalence and associated disability, including the associated disease burden and financial costs, of brain diseases in Europe [1–3]. A shocking finding was that in a European population of more than 400 million people, approximately one-third suffered from a psychiatric or neurological disorder. In the psychiatric disorders, anxiety disorders had the highest 12-month prevalence (14%) and depression (7%), approximately 61.5 million people. The disability burden of psychiatric diseases including major depression is tremendous being defined in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). In 2010, more than 26% of all cumulated disease burden in Europe was due to brain disorders; depression belongs to the top diseases with the highest DALYs. Major depression is a severe brain disorder associated with long-term disability and low quality of life. Suicide and suicidal attempts are highly associated with depression and have an enormous impact on relatives and society.