Side Effects by Class: The Medication Side Effect Detective Guide is your quick reference to understanding how different psychiatric medication classes affect the body and mind. It breaks down the most common drug families—antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, anxiolytics, and sleep aids—and their signature side effect patterns. Learn which medications are most likely to cause weight gain, sedation, sexual dysfunction, gastrointestinal issues, metabolic changes, or movement disorders, and how these effects differ across classes.
The guide also provides strategies for monitoring, managing, and minimizing side effects in clinical practice. Special attention is given to vulnerable groups such as children, adolescents, older adults, and pregnant patients. Designed as a visual, detective-style tool, this guide helps students, clinicians, and patients quickly spot “clues” and connect each class of medication with its typical side effects.