People taking weight-loss drugs twice as likely to experience depression, study finds

Weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro are all the rage, but their side effects are not to be taken lightly. A recent study found that people who had taken weight-loss medication were nearly twice as likely to report experiencing depression as those who had not.

Those who regained weight after taking the drugs were found to suffer even more severe mental health deterioration.

A research team led by Son Ki-young, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Asan Medical Center, analyzed data from 27,741 adults — 10,908 men and 16,833 women — who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2013 and 2022, according to the medical community Sunday.

The team divided participants into 846 weight-loss drug users, who had been prescribed and taken medication for weight control in the past year, and 26,895 non-users.

Weight-loss drug users showed higher rates of mental health problems than non-users. Among users, 22.1 percent reported experiencing depression for two or more consecutive weeks, far exceeding the 11.4 percent rate among non-users.

Over the past year, 8.4 percent of users had sought mental health counseling, compared with 3.4 percent of non-users; 9.9 percent had experienced suicidal thoughts, versus 4.5 percent; 2.2 percent had made a suicide plan, versus 1.4 percent; and 1.7 percent had attempted suicide, versus 0.6 percent.

Compared with non-users, weight-loss drug users were 1.9 times more likely to have experienced depression, 2.0 times more likely to have sought mental health counseling, 2.7 times more likely to have had suicidal thoughts, 1.9 times more likely to have made a suicide plan, and 1.7 times more likely to have attempted suicide.

Among users who gained weight despite taking the drugs, the likelihood of experiencing depression was 1.9 times higher than among non-users, mental health counseling 1.8 times higher, and suicidal ideation 4.2 times higher.

"The tendency for depression and suicide-related indicators to increase as weight rebounds after using weight-loss drugs may reflect not only the neuropsychiatric effects of the drugs themselves, but also a complex interplay of psychological and social factors associated with failed weight control," the research team said.

The findings were published in the latest issue of the Korean Journal of Family Practice under the title "Association of Weight-Loss Drug Use and Weight Change with Depression and Suicidal Ideation and Behavior."

Meanwhile, obesity drugs continue to be all the rage. Mounjaro surpassed 1.5 million cumulative prescriptions within 10 months of its domestic launch.

According to Drug Utilization Review data submitted to People Power Party lawmaker Han Ji-a, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, Mounjaro — launched domestically in August last year — was prescribed a total of 1,501,161 times over the 10 months through May this year.

By age group, people in their 20s and 30s accounted for 52.9 percent of all prescriptions, or 794,781 cases. Those in their 30s made up the largest share at 36.0 percent, followed by those in their 40s at 27.1 percent, those in their 20s at 16.9 percent, and those in their 50s at 14.6 percent.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare's helpline at 1393, available 24/7. Please request a translator for English-language services.