What is the serotonin hypothesis of depression?

The serotonin hypothesis says that depression is caused by not enough of a chemical messenger called serotonin in the brain. A related idea is that brain chemicals are out of balance.

Why did it become popular?

Drugs called SSRIs were advertised as ways to treat depression by fixing the serotonin deficit. These drugs ease symptoms for roughly half of people with depression.

Why is the serotonin hypothesis of depression wrong?

It is too simple a picture. There are no clear descriptions of depression, and no obvious signs of it in the brain or blood. All sorts of factors influence depression, ranging from a myriad of minuscule molecules in the brain to events in a person’s life.

What factors need to be considered when studying depression?

Symptoms of depression vary widely from person to person, and common depression scales can miss important symptoms. Signs of depression also vary among different groups of people, and can be influenced by race, gender and culture. What’s more, our friendships, our loves, our setbacks and our stress can all influence our mental health.

Health & Medicine

A chemical imbalance doesn’t explain depression. So what does?

The causes of depression are much more complex than the serotonin hypothesis suggests

Understanding depression means not only studying the brain and body, but also a host of outside factors that influence people’s health, researchers argue.

PETER STRAIN

By Laura Sanders

February 12, 2023 at 7:00 am

You’d be forgiven for thinking that depression has a simple explanation.

The same mantra — that the mood disorder comes from a chemical imbalance in the brain — is repeated in doctors’ offices, medical textbooks and pharmaceutical advertisements.

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