A new study warns that prolonged use of antidepressants offers limited benefits while posing significant health risks, urging clinicians to review treatments every six months. Researchers from the University of Adelaide and the University of Queensland Medical School highlight that commonly prescribed antidepressants may not correct serotonin deficiencies, and long-term use can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms, sexual dysfunction, emotional numbing, cognitive impairment, and weight gain.
Study Findings on Antidepressant Efficacy
The study, published in the Australian Journal of General Practice, challenges the evidence supporting long-term antidepressant treatment. Lead author Dr. Mark Horowitz, a psychiatrist at Adelaide University, explains that many relapse prevention trials compare patients who continue medication with those who stop abruptly or rapidly. Because these trials do not distinguish between withdrawal symptoms and the return of depression, many apparent relapses may actually be withdrawal effects.
Limited Benefits Over Placebo
Even short-term trials show antidepressants enabling only small improvements compared to placebos. The researchers note that the health benefits of long-term use may be overstated, as studies often miscategorise withdrawal as a return of depression.
Risks of Long-Term Use
Growing evidence links long-term antidepressant use to several adverse effects:
- Sexual dysfunction
- Emotional numbing
- Cognitive impairment
- Weight gain
Withdrawal symptoms after long-term use can be severe and long-lasting, sometimes persisting for months or years. Symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, and insomnia occur in both withdrawal and depression relapse, making it difficult to differentiate.
Call for Updated Guidelines
The researchers call for updating clinical guidelines to reflect the lack of good studies showing long-term effectiveness. Dr. Katharine Wallis, co-author from the University of Queensland, emphasises supporting patients to make informed choices and to stop antidepressants by slowly decreasing the dose. Dr. Horowitz adds that the risk of withdrawal effects increases with duration of use, suggesting stopping sooner rather than later.
With over 330 million people globally suffering from depression, and nearly twice as many women taking antidepressants as men, the study has significant implications for high-income countries like the US, UK, and Australia, where long-term use is common.
