What is Going On With SSRIs?

You may have heard a lot about Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRIs recently. Because they are an essential medication for so many who live with mental health challenges, we decided to take a look.

First, SSRIs are a common class of antidepressants. Currently, about 13% of the population has a prescription for SSRI medications. As the name suggests, they impact how much serotonin is available and how it is used in the brain. Serotonin is one of several key neurotransmitters in the brain and is sometimes called the “happy molecule” or the “happy neurotransmitter” because of its impact on mood.

The first SSRI introduced to the market was Prozac (generic name fluoxetine). It is also probably one of the most well-known. It was first introduced over 35 years ago in 1987. So you might be wondering why you are hearing so much about them if they’ve been around for so long and are so widely used.

The reason they are a topic of conversation right now is because recently confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has expressed concerns about SSRI medications being addictive or possibly causing violence. Alongside this, President Trump established a commission to “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA). In the order establishing that commission, one line specifically acknowledged that SSRIs should be re-evaluated, along with several other medication classes.

Even before these actions, there was a lot of information and misinformation out there about these medication. So here are the facts that we’ve been able to verify.

First, there is the claim that they are addictive. We have not found evidence to support this in the literature. Some seem to believe this is true because if you stop an anti-depressant suddenly, it can have negative side effects that some have likened to withdrawal symptoms. While it is important to come off these medications slowly and to do so while following the advice of your health care professional, we have not found support for the claim they are addictive.

Second, there is the claim that they cause violence such as mass shootings. Our review of the literature also does not support this. There are some studies that have suggested a correlation between increased violent behavior and medication use. However, correlation is not causation. Many of those studies note that no causal link was identified, and many did not examine things like adverse childhood impacts (ACEs), such as physical trauma, which might be common to both aggressive behavior and anti-depressant use.

Furthermore, the simple statistics surrounding these types of crimes do not support the claim. It is a minority of mass shooters who are using SSRIs. It is a minority of individuals with a mental health condition committing these crimes. On the contrary, people with mental health conditions are far more likely to be victims of violence, rather than perpetrators.

So where does that leave us? The LegalMind Society’s positon on any medication is that the science should be followed. We’ve laid out some of the reasons why we believe that these medications are safe and effective according to science. That said, we are not doctors and this is not medical advice. This is for informational information only. To better understand if SSRIs are right for you or a loved one, we encourage you to do your own research and talk to your doctor. We support everyone having access to the medications and treatment types that work for them. And we sincerely hope that if you are looking for treatment that you find something that works for you.

Lastly, know that we are here if any of these issues are causing you anxiety, or if you need support for your mental health condition. Until next time, be well.