The second-generation antidepressants are a class of antidepressants characterized primarily by the era of their introduction, approximately coinciding with the 1970s and 1980s, rather than by their chemical structure or by their pharmacological effect.
As a consequence, there is some controversy over which treatments actually belong in this class.
The term "third generation antidepressant" is sometimes used to refer to newer antidepressants,[1] from the 1990s and 2000s, often selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as; fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft), as well as some non-SSRI antidepressants such as mirtazapine, nefazodone, venlafaxine, duloxetine and reboxetine.
This list is not exhaustive, and different sources vary upon which items should be considered second-generation.
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