Adverse Drug Reactions: What Every Psychologist Should Know
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are undesirable, unwanted, and harmful side effects to a medication. There are currently over 2 million reported ADRs per year in the United States. ADRs in the mental health area can be divided into “big ones” (that require immediate attention) and “common ones” (warranting attention but generally not a crisis). This article describes the warning signs of five major ADRs and five common ADRs. How psychologists should address situations where a patient is experiencing one of these ADRs is described and discussed.