ETHICS OF COSMETIC PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

Abstract

A commonly prescribed antidote for the depressed mood, antidepressant medication continues to prove its efficacy and worth in primary and psychiatric healthcare. Its ubiquity in society behooves its administrators and users to reflect on its function not only as a mood enhancer, but perhaps also as a modifier of the human self. Inspired by Peter Kramer’s Listening to Prozac, this commentary discusses the ethical and social implications of antidepressants and the connotation of cosmetic psychopharmacology.