The Drugs Don’t Work: Antidepressant Stigma and Why Mental Health Headlines Matter

By Darcy Nathan

It is estimated that antidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed medications in the world. One out of every six adults in the UK is currently taking serotonin-maintaining drugs. In conjunction with their ever-growing popularity, antidepressants, specifically SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), are subject to constant media dispute regarding their efficacy and patient dependence.

In a new study from University College London, scientists concluded that these drugs are currently unknown in terms of their mechanisms of action. Medical researchers are familiar with this sentiment, but what does it mean for patients taking SSRIs when headlines are published like the Telegraph’s ‘Depression is not caused by a chemical imbalance’?

Globally, major depression as a burden of disease ranked third in 2008; it is predicted to rank first by 2030. Despite this, Instagram comments for the Telegraph’s headline were overwhelmingly negative, with many alleging their doctors rushed them to prescribe these drugs. Many commenters reported independent improvements in their mental well-being when they began meditating and taking a more comprehensive approach. 

A long-term sufferer of anxiety or depression knows that there is no quick fix. As such, the delayed onset of side effects on SSRIs requires patients to persist with them for up to three months before adjusting treatments. Even though patients often feel discouraged by the lack of an immediate solution to their mental health problems, they are not obligated to take a prescription. Medication is just one of the tools at our disposal to manage our conditions.

Writing off the immediate benefits of this medication without considering its long-term efficacy is highly problematic. There is evidence that continuing with a course of SSRIs is an effective measure for preventing relapses and the reoccurrence of severe symptoms, even if patients have been on the medication for quite some time. The convincing evidence that mental and physical health are connected suggests that it is better to be safe than sorry.

A headline asserting that medication is ineffective without warning readers that they should not immediately stop taking it is irresponsible, given the severity of withdrawal symptoms associated with SSRIs. This sensationalistic sentiment contributes to the stigma surrounding mental health medication and to a reluctance among those who could benefit from additional medical treatment. 

I had been struggling with my mental health for decades before deciding SSRIs were the right course of action for me. In the past, I was frightened that I would end up hooked on antidepressants for life and become just another victim of big pharma, so I took sleeping aids, beta-blockers and herbal remedies instead. All while undergoing multiple unsuccessful therapy sessions.

Yet, I have been able to change my life for the better – thanks to finally getting a prescription for SSRIs. Taking one tablet a day has allowed me to function more effectively than I have my whole life, preventing panic attacks and physical symptoms like shakes, insomnia and an increased heart rate. Despite my lived experience of how impactful these drugs can be, the court of public opinion often dismisses SSRIs as placebos.

Both anxiety and depression are vastly complex disorders, with varying treatments available to patients around the globe. Due to the diversity of experiences of mental illness, it will remain impossible to comprehensively classify the impact of these drugs on one of the biggest causes of disability worldwide. Ultimately, to publicly discredit aids that improve the lives of thousands worldwide is irresponsible, stigmatising, and delegitimising. The media need to remember that mental health headlines matter.