Ace the 2025 BTEC Applied Psychology Challenge – Unleash Your Inner Psych Pro!

The group of drugs that includes SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) and Prozac is classified as antidepressants. These medications work primarily by increasing serotonin levels in the brain, which helps improve mood and alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. SSRIs block the reuptake of serotonin in the synaptic gap, making more serotonin available to bind to receptors on the post-synaptic neuron, thereby enhancing neurotransmission and promoting emotional stability.

Other drug classifications do not primarily have this effect on serotonin. Antipsychotics typically target other neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, to address symptoms of psychosis rather than directly increasing serotonin levels. Stimulants are generally used to treat disorders like ADHD and work by increasing levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, rather than serotonin. Opioids primarily focus on the body's pain relief system by mimicking the effects of natural pain-relieving chemicals, and they do not significantly influence serotonin neurotransmission. Therefore, antidepressants are the correct classification for the drugs mentioned in the question.