Research
Hormonal
GLP-1 receptor agonists (liraglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide) are effective for weight loss in patients with obesity and may improve depression scores, with a low rate of adverse psychiatric events.
GLP-1 agonists (like Semaglutide or Tirzepatide) are highly effective for weight loss (15-21%) and may also improve depression. They have a low risk of psychiatric side effects. Discuss these with your doctor if you have no thyroid cancer history.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
A recent meta-analysis also found that treatment with GLP-1R agonists was associated with improved depression scores compared to placebo [41].
Why this rating
Based on meta-analyses and pooled analyses cited in the review.
Source
Treating obesity in patients with depression: a narrative review and treatment recommendation
Pamela Kushner et al. · Postgraduate Medicine · 2025
DOI 10.1080/00325481.2025.2478812
narrative_reviewCited 3×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Phenotype-guided pharmacotherapy using naltrexone/bupropion extended-release (NB-ER) is the preferred treatment for obesity patients with emotional hunger, as it addresses both weight and depression symptoms.Good
- Bariatric surgery may not provide long-term reductions in depressive symptoms for patients with obesity and depression, despite improving quality of life.Moderate
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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