Animal studies, and studies exclusively focusing on depression in physical conditions (e.g., Parkinson’s disease), or subtypes of depression (e.g., postpartum depression, depression in bipolar disorder) were excluded. In the case of more than five systematic reviews or large analyses, the authors included the most recent five. Other inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed studies involving people with depressive disorders (tryptophan depletion for experimental studies, with a control or sham condition), or those measuring mood as an outcome. This review expanded these criteria to include large studies that aggregated data from individual studies, as well as one large-scale genetic study. Umbrella reviews are one of the most effective ways of synthesizing information, as they involve the review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. In this work, Joanna Moncrieff and colleagues conduct the first comprehensive review that synthesizes the relevant evidence to examine the serotonin hypothesis of depression. Other explanations have suggested that antidepressants enhance a placebo effect or generally blunt emotion. The seeming efficacy of SSRIs is believed to provide support for the involvement of serotonin in depression. That depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain has widespread support from researchers, health care practitioners, and the general public. This has served as the basis for the use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. A large systematic umbrella review published in Molecular Psychiatry suggests a lack of consistent evidence linking serotonin and depression, concluding that there is no support for the hypothesis that depression is caused by lowered serotonin activity or concentration.ĭecades of literature has argued that depression results from abnormalities in serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in numerous psychological and physiological processes.
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