Interferon-Related Depression: A Primer on Mechanisms, Treatment, and Prevention of a Common Clinical Problem

Abstract

Depression is one of the commonest of psychiatric disorders, and inflammatory mechanisms have been suggested to play a role in its pathophysiology. Interferons are a superfamily of proinflammatory cytokines that play a role in host defence mechanisms. Interferons are used in the treatment of a variety of autoimmune (e.g. multiple sclerosis), viral (e.g. chronic hepatitis B and C), and malignant (e.g. malignant melanoma, hairy cell leukemia) disorders; depression, however, is a notable and clinically troublesome adverse effect. This article presents a simple explanation and update for the reader about what interferons are, how they are classified, the clinical conditions in which interferons are used, the occurrence of depression as a clinical adverse effect, possible mechanisms that underlie the development of interferon-related depression, the treatment of interferon-related depression, and the prevention of interferon-related depression.