- A large register study suggests GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide may be linked with lower rates of depression, anxiety and substance use problems.
- People taking semaglutide had fewer psychiatric hospital visits and fewer mental health related absences from work.
- The findings are encouraging, but this was an observational study so it cannot prove the drugs directly caused the improvement.
A large study from Sweden suggests GLP-1 drugs may have mental health benefits as well as metabolic ones.
Researchers looked at national health data from almost 100,000 people between 2009 and 2022.
More than 20,000 of them had used a GLP-1 medicine, including semaglutide.
The researchers found that periods of semaglutide use were linked with fewer psychiatric-related hospital visits and less sickness absence.
The effect on some outcomes was striking.
During semaglutide treatment, the risk of depression was 44% lower and the risk of anxiety disorders was 38% lower.
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Substance use related hospital care and sickness absence were also 47% lower during treatment periods.
The study also found a reduced risk of suicidal behaviour among people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists.
That is a notable finding, especially given the debate around whether these drugs might worsen mental health in some people.
There are a few possible explanations.
Some of the benefit may come from weight loss, better blood sugar control, lower alcohol intake or improvements in body image.
The researchers also suggest there may be direct effects on the brain’s reward system.
That is plausible, but it is still only a theory at this stage.
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This was a register study, not a randomised trial.
So it shows an association, not proof that the drugs themselves caused the mental health improvements.
Even so, it adds to growing evidence that GLP-1 medicines may do more than lower weight and blood sugar.
For people living with obesity or type 2 diabetes, that broader impact could matter a great deal.
