Letters
Antidepressants and serotonin hypothesis of depression
Putting serotonin in its place—again
BMJ 2022; 379 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o2357 (Published 05 October 2022) Cite this as: BMJ 2022;379:o2357
- David B Menkes, academic psychiatrist
- Waikato Clinical Campus, University of Auckland, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
- david.menkes{at}auckland.ac.nz
Beyond discrediting the idea that depression is caused by a deficiency of serotonin amenable to “correction” by antidepressants, the review by Moncrieff et al1 mentioned by Kendrick and Collinson2 goes further in challenging the role of biology in mood disorders. Their dismantling of the serotonin “chemical imbalance” theory and its shameless promotion by the drug industry is justified, but the …
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