New Comprehensive Review Finds That Depression Is Not Caused By Low Serotonin Levels, Calling Into Question The Effect Of Antidepressants

Rido - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purpose only, not the actual person
Rido - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purpose only, not the actual person

Antidepressants are one of the most widely-prescribed drugs in America, with over thirteen percent of adults over the age of eighteen regularly taking them.

Yet, these popular medications’ effectiveness– such as Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexapro– have primarily been based on unclear evidence, according to a new comprehensive review conducted by researchers at the University College London (UCL).

The team examined countless previous studies and concluded that changing serotonin levels do not cause depression.

In turn, antidepressants– most of which are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been called into question.

“It is always difficult to prove a negative, but I think we can safely say that after a vast amount of research conducted over several decades, there is no convincing evidence that depression is caused by serotonin abnormalities, particularly by lower levels or reduced activity of serotonin,” said Joanna Moncrieff, the review’s lead author and professor of psychiatry at UCL.

The idea that depression stemmed from a brain chemical imbalance was first proposed in the 1960s by various scientists. Since then, Moncrieff discussed how the notion had been the backbone of the antidepressant movement.

“The popularity of the theory has coincided with a huge increase in the use of antidepressants. Prescriptions for antidepressants have risen dramatically since the 1990s… and most people take antidepressants because they have been led to believe their depression has a biochemical cause. But, this new research suggests this belief is not grounded in evidence,” Moncrieff explained.

The umbrella review aimed to analyze all studies concerning serotonin and depression research and included tens of thousands of study participants.

It found no differences between the serotonin levels of people diagnosed with depression compared to control participants.

Rido – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purpose only, not the actual person

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Additionally, people with depression who took antidepressants were actually found to have lower serotonin blood levels in the long term.

Now, the researchers are questioning what antidepressants really do and hoping to raise awareness among the public. According to a UCL press release, between eighty-five and ninety percent of the public believe that low serotonin or chemical imbalances cause depression.

And aside from these beliefs being scientifically false, they can also cause patients to be pessimistic about recovery.

In turn, Moncrieff is urging medical professionals to inform patients of these findings and be transparent about treatment options.

“Our view is that patients should not be told that depression is caused by low serotonin or by a chemical imbalance, and they should not be led to believe that antidepressants work by targeting these unproven abnormalities,” Moncrieff began.

“We do not understand what antidepressants are doing to the brain exactly, and giving people this sort of misinformation prevents them from making an informed decision about whether to take antidepressants or not,” she continued.

Nonetheless, the researchers also caution current antidepressant users to consult a medical professional before discontinuing the use of their prescription in order to protect against adverse withdrawal effects.

And moving forward, they hope this review has opened doors for further research into other treatment options including, stress and trauma management, psychotherapy, and more.

To read the complete study’s findings published in Molecular Psychiatry, visit the link here.

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Katharina Buczek graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Digital Arts. Specializing ... More about Katharina Buczek

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