Do Antidepressants Work? A New Umbrella Review Suggests “No”

The conventional wisdom in psychiatry is being turned on its head. For decades, doctors have accepted the hypothesis that serotonin levels in our brains are responsible for depression. A new umbrella review of the existing studies debunks that hypothesis.

First, if you are currently taking SSRIs, consult with your physician or psychiatrist before discontinuing your prescription.

After decades of research, the studies show that no clear evidence exists for serotonin levels or serotonin activity is responsible for depression.

This umbrella review was conducted by a research group at University College London, which was led by Joanna Moncrieff, a professor of psychiatry at the school. Her team reviewed multiple meta-analyses and systematic reviews and concluded that depression is not likely caused by a chemical imbalance. Their article was published in Molecular Psychiatry and called into question what popular antidepressants actually accomplish.

Most antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which were originally thought to work by correcting abnormally low serotonin levels. There is no other accepted pharmacological mechanism by which antidepressants affect the symptoms of depression.