Some Ozempic-like drugs may help prevent depression, anxiety and self harm from worsening

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-03-19 10:30

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Some GLP-1 medications (semaglutide [sold as Ozempic and Wegovy in Australia] and liraglutide [sold as Saxenda and Victoza in Australia]) may help reduce the risk of depression, anxiety, and self-harm becoming worse, according to international scientists, including an Australian. The findings are based on nearly 95,000 people who had already been diagnosed with these mental health conditions, and who were prescribed either GLP-1 medications or other drugs to manage diabetes or obesity. The researchers say GLP-1 medications were linked to fewer serious mental health outcomes, including psychiatric hospitalisation, taking sick leave due to mental illness, and death by suicide. Semaglutide was most strongly linked with a reduced risk of worsening mental health, cutting it by 42%, as well as a 44% lower risk of worsening depression, a 38% lower risk of worsening anxiety, and a 47% lower risk of worsening substance use disorder. Liraglutide was linked to an 18% lower risk of worsening mental health, while other GLP-1 medications, including exenatide and dulaglutide, did not show any benefits. This type of study can't prove cause and effect, but the authors say the findings suggest that some GLP-1 medications may offer benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss, potentially supporting mental health as well.

News release

From: The Lancet

Some GLP-1 medications may lower risk of worsening depression, anxiety, and self-harm, study suggests

Some GLP-1 medications (semaglutide and liraglutide) may also help reduce the risk of worsening depression, anxiety, and self-harm in people already diagnosed with these mental health conditions who are prescribed these medications to manage diabetes or obesity, according to a paper published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal. The study found that these medications were linked to fewer serious mental health outcomes, including psychiatric hospitalisation, taking sick leave due to mental illness, and death by suicide.

People with diabetes are known to have a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide than the general population. GLP-1 receptor agonists are commonly prescribed for diabetes and obesity, but their effects on mental health have been unclear.

Researchers used national Swedish health records from 2009 to 2022 to track nearly 95,000 people with diabetes and/or obesity and already diagnosed with depression or anxiety who had also used various diabetes medications to see whether use of GLP-1 receptor agonists was linked to changes in mental health outcomes over time.

The study found that semaglutide had the strongest association with reduced risk of worsening mental health with a 42% lower risk of worsening mental health and liraglutide was linked to an 18% lower risk. Other GLP-1 medications, including exenatide and dulaglutide, did not show the same benefit. Semaglutide was also associated with a 44% lower risk of worsening depression, a 38% lower risk of worsening anxiety, and a 47% lower risk of worsening substance use disorder.

The authors report that the findings suggest that some GLP-1 medications may offer benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss, potentially supporting mental health as well. However, they highlight that because this was an observational study, it cannot prove cause and effect, and they call for future clinical trials to confirm the potential mental health benefits of GLP-1 medications.

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Journal/
conference: The Lancet Psychiatry

Organisation/s: Griffith University, University of Eastern Finland, Finland

Funder: Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, and Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

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