Every year many suffering with depression are prescribed antidepressants to manage their condition, with antidepressants being described – by a spokesperson for the Royal College of Psychiatrists – as “an effective evidence-based treatment” (The Pharmaceutical Journal, 2022).

Within England, UK, “From 2021-22, there was a 5% rise in the number of adults receiving them – from 7.9 million in the previous 12 months to 8.3 million. [… with …] “An estimated 83.4 million antidepressant drug items were prescribed between 2021 and 2022, which marks a 5% increase from the previous year.” (BBC, 2022).

Within the US, Brody and Gu (2020) reported that “During 2015–2018, 13.2% of adults aged 18 and over used antidepressant medications in the past 30 days. [… and … ] In 2018, an estimated 7.2% of American adults had a major depressive episode in the past year. Carey and Geberloff reported in 2018 that “Nearly 25 million adults, like Ms. Toline, have been on antidepressants for at least two years, a 60 percent increase since 2010.”

Now it is important to remember that:

• Depression is associated with diminished quality of life and increased disability;
• Antidepressants are one of the primary treatments for depression;
• Antidepressants are among the most frequently used therapeutic medications in the UK and US; and
• There is research to suggest antidepressants work, at least in some people.

However, a new major analysis (by Moncrief et al., 2022) reported in the New Scientist suggests there is no link between serotonin levels and depression, raising questions about antidepressants that focus on this brain-signalling molecule (Wild, 2022, p.20).

Although this analysis suggests antidepressants might not be as effective as previously stated, brain electrodes might be. Read our next post about brain electrodes and depression here.

References

BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). (2022) Nearly Half a Million More Adults on Antidepressants in England. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62094744. [Accessed: 17 November, 2022].

Carey, B. & Gebeloff, R. (2018) Many People Taking Antidepressants Discover They Cannot Quit. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/07/health/antidepressants-withdrawal-prozac-cymbalta.html. [Accessed: 17 November, 2022].

Moncrief, J., Cooper, R.E., Stockman, T., Amendola, S., Hengartner, M.P. & Horowitz, M.A. (2022) The Serotonin Theory of Depression: A Systematic Umbrella Review of the Evidence. Molecular Psychiatry. doi.org/gqh6nd.

The Pharmaceutical Journal. (2022) Antidepressant Prescribing Increases by 35% in Six Years. Available from World Wide Web: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/antidepressant-prescribing-increases-by-35-in-six-years. [Accessed: 17 November, 2022].

Wild, S. (2022) No Link between Depression and Serotonin, Finds Major Analysis. New Scientist. 30 July 2022, pp.20.