Psychiatrists have known for years that low serotonin levels may not cause depression, even though they continue to prescribe pills, the psychology department said.
Dr. Jonathan Raskin, who is also a psychotherapist at the State University of New York, told DailyMail.com that he had been concerned that the theory that depression was caused by low serotonin levels had been “incomplete” for “some time “.
But he said many doctors continue to prescribe the drugs, even when they are not sure whether they are effective, because it is “easier” than offering more intensive care.
Pills can still help some patients, he added, but they are not a “cure-all” for those suffering from depression.
This week, a landmark UK study called into question society’s ever-increasing dependence on anti-depressants such as Prozac.
The $15 billion-a-year industry — set to grow to $21 billion in the next decade — sees patients prescribed pills like Prozac with the promise that they will cure people’s depression by increasing levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain.
But after reviewing 17 large studies, scientists at University College London said they found no conclusive evidence that a lack of this chemical caused the condition.
Dr. Jonathan Raskin, chair of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz, said many experts were concerned that the theory was “incomplete”
Researchers at University College London said a review of the evidence found no link between low levels of serotonin and depression, casting doubt on antidepressants designed to boost levels of the feel-good chemical. But other experts questioned the findings
About 13 percent of American adults take antidepressants each year, the figures show.
But the rates are much higher among women, with up to 18 percent prescribed the drugs annually.
Asked whether low serotonin levels cause depression, Raskin said, “I think most mental health professionals familiar with the research have known for some time that the serotonin theory of depression is incomplete and has mixed research support.
“Depression is a complex problem and the idea that we can reduce it simply to serotonin is not correct.
“When we give antidepressants, we don’t do it based on biological tests showing they don’t have enough serotonin — but if we think it might help them.”
Asked whether people should continue to take the pills, he said: “I think it’s a conversation worth having.
“I’m not going to say that people should or shouldn’t be using them, but I think there’s a lot of popular propagation of the idea that we’ve reduced depression to low serotonin levels.”
“Antidepressants have some effect in some people, but I don’t think they’re a cure-all.”
WHAT IS DEPRESSION? SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES
Although it’s normal to feel down from time to time, people with depression may feel constantly miserable for weeks or months at a time.
Depression can affect anyone at any age and is quite common – around one in ten people are likely to experience it at some point in their lives.
Depression is a real health condition that people cannot simply ignore or “run away from”.
Symptoms and effects vary, but may include persistent feelings of upset or hopelessness, or loss of interest in things you used to enjoy.
It can also cause physical symptoms such as trouble sleeping, fatigue, low appetite or sex drive, and even feelings of physical pain.
In extreme cases, it can lead to suicidal thoughts.
Traumatic events can trigger it, and people with a family history may be at greater risk.
It’s important to see a doctor if you think you or someone you know has depression, as it can be managed with lifestyle changes, therapy, or medication.
Source: NHS Choices
He added: “They are easier to prescribe and give to people than to deliver more intensive things like psychotherapy.
“So they can be offered to people even though other solutions are equally or more effective.”
One academic involved in the UK study described the findings as “eye-opening” and that “everything I thought I knew was turned upside down”.
Lead author Professor Joanna Moncrieff, a psychiatrist, said: “The popularity of the ‘chemical imbalance’ theory has coincided with a huge increase in the use of antidepressants.
“Thousands suffer from the side effects of antidepressants, including the severe withdrawal effects that can occur when people try to stop them, yet prescription rates continue to rise.
Serotonin helps carry signals in the brain and is thought to have a positive effect on mood, emotions and sleep.
They are preferred over other types of antidepressants because they cause fewer side effects. However, they can still cause patients who take them to experience anxiety, diarrhea, dizziness, and blurred vision.
Depressed patients can also be affected by crippling withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop the pills.
At the same time, a number of studies show that they work no better than a placebo.
The UCL study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, analyzed 17 previous reviews dating back to 2010 and consisting of dozens of individual studies.
This does not prove that SSRIs do not work. However, this suggests that the drugs do not treat depression by fixing abnormally low levels of serotonin.
SSRIs have no other proven mode of action, Professor Moncrief and colleagues said.
She added: “We can safely say that after a huge amount of research carried out over several decades, there is no conclusive evidence that depression is caused by abnormalities in serotonin, particularly lower levels or reduced activity of serotonin.
“We don’t understand exactly what antidepressants do to the brain.
“Giving people this kind of misinformation prevents them from making an informed decision about whether or not to take antidepressants.”
The studies used in the review included hundreds of thousands of people from different countries.
They found that there was no difference in serotonin levels between people diagnosed with depression and healthy people, despite studies showing that up to 95 percent of the public believed this to be the case.
Artificially lowering serotonin levels in healthy volunteers also did not cause them to develop depression.
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