The serotonin hypothesis of depression: both long discarded and still supported?

Joanna Moncrieff^{1

2}, Ruth E Cooper³, Tom Stockmann⁴, Simone Amendola⁵, Michael P Hengartner⁵, Martin Plöderl⁶, Mark A Horowitz^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK. j.moncrieff@ucl.ac.uk.
² Research and Development Department, Research and Development Department, North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), Rainham, UK. j.moncrieff@ucl.ac.uk.
³ NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
⁴ Praevmedic, Zürich, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Applied Psychology, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁶ University Clinic of Psychiatry Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
⁷ Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.
⁸ Research and Development Department, Research and Development Department, North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), Rainham, UK.

PMID: 37322064
DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02094-z

Comment

The serotonin hypothesis of depression: both long discarded and still supported?

Joanna Moncrieff et al. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Aug.

. 2023 Aug;28(8):3160-3163.

doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02094-z. Epub 2023 Jun 16.

Authors

Joanna Moncrieff^{1

2}, Ruth E Cooper³, Tom Stockmann⁴, Simone Amendola⁵, Michael P Hengartner⁵, Martin Plöderl⁶, Mark A Horowitz^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK. j.moncrieff@ucl.ac.uk.
² Research and Development Department, Research and Development Department, North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), Rainham, UK. j.moncrieff@ucl.ac.uk.
³ NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
⁴ Praevmedic, Zürich, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Applied Psychology, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁶ University Clinic of Psychiatry Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
⁷ Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.
⁸ Research and Development Department, Research and Development Department, North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), Rainham, UK.

PMID: 37322064
DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02094-z

No abstract available

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Comment on

The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence.
Moncrieff J, Cooper RE, Stockmann T, Amendola S, Hengartner MP, Horowitz MA. Moncrieff J, et al. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Aug;28(8):3243-3256. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01661-0. Epub 2022 Jul 20. Mol Psychiatry. 2023. PMID: 35854107 Free PMC article.
Serotonin and depression-an alternative interpretation of the data in Moncrieff et al.
Jacobsen JPR. Jacobsen JPR. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Aug;28(8):3158-3159. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02090-3. Epub 2023 Jun 16. Mol Psychiatry. 2023. PMID: 37322060 No abstract available.
The serotonin theory of depression.
El-Mallakh RS, Doroodgar M, Elsayed OH, Kidambi N. El-Mallakh RS, et al. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Aug;28(8):3157. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02091-2. Epub 2023 Jun 16. Mol Psychiatry. 2023. PMID: 37322061 No abstract available.
Reply to: "The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence" published by Moncrieff J, Cooper RE, Stockmann T, Amendola S, Hengartner MP, Horowitz MA in Molecular Psychiatry (2022 Jul 20. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01661-0).
Bartova L, Lanzenberger R, Rujescu D, Kasper S. Bartova L, et al. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Aug;28(8):3153-3154. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02093-0. Epub 2023 Jun 16. Mol Psychiatry. 2023. PMID: 37322062 No abstract available.
Although serotonin is not a major player in depression, its precursor is.
Almulla AF, Maes M. Almulla AF, et al. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Aug;28(8):3155-3156. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02092-1. Epub 2023 Jun 16. Mol Psychiatry. 2023. PMID: 37322063 No abstract available.
A leaky umbrella has little value: evidence clearly indicates the serotonin system is implicated in depression.
Jauhar S, Arnone D, Baldwin DS, Bloomfield M, Browning M, Cleare AJ, Corlett P, Deakin JFW, Erritzoe D, Fu C, Fusar-Poli P, Goodwin GM, Hayes J, Howard R, Howes OD, Juruena MF, Lam RW, Lawrie SM, McAllister-Williams H, Marwaha S, Matuskey D, McCutcheon RA, Nutt DJ, Pariante C, Pillinger T, Radhakrishnan R, Rucker J, Selvaraj S, Stokes P, Upthegrove R, Yalin N, Yatham L, Young AH, Zahn R, Cowen PJ. Jauhar S, et al. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Aug;28(8):3149-3152. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02095-y. Epub 2023 Jun 16. Mol Psychiatry. 2023. PMID: 37322065 Free PMC article.

References

1. Moncrieff J, Cooper RE, Stockmann T, Amendola S, Hengartner MP, Horowitz MA. The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence. Mol Psychiatry. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01661-0 .
1. Ang B, Horowitz M, Moncrieff J. Is the chemical imbalance an “urban legend”? An exploration of the status of the serotonin theory of depression in the scientific literature. SSM-Mental Health. 2022;2:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100098 .
1. Priest RG, Vize C, Roberts A, Roberts M, Tylee A. Lay people’s attitudes to treatment of depression: results of opinion poll for Defeat Depression Campaign just before its launch. BMJ. 1996;313:858–9. - DOI - PubMed - PMC
1. Bartova L, Lanzenberger R, Rujescu D, Kasper S. Reply to: “The Serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence.” 2023 [in press].
1. Jauhar S, Arnone D, Baldwin D, Bloomfield M, Browning M. A leaky umbrella has little value: evidence clearly indicates the serotonin system is implicated in depression. 2023 [in press].

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The serotonin hypothesis of depression: both long discarded and still supported?

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The serotonin hypothesis of depression: both long discarded and still supported?

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