GLP-1 Medications & Mental Health: What This New Study Really Found
TL;DR
Across 80 randomized clinical trials (107,000+ adults with obesity and/or diabetes), GLP-1 medicines (like semaglutide and liraglutide) did not increase psychiatric side effects versus placebo. On average, mood didn’t worsen, and people showed small improvements in well-being and eating patterns.
What question did the researchers ask?
Do GLP-1 medications affect mental health—including psychiatric side effects, mood/depression symptoms, quality of life, thinking/cognition, and eating behaviors—compared with placebo?
How was the study done?
Type: Systematic review & meta-analysis (the highest level of evidence that pools many trials).
What they included: 80 double-blind, placebo-controlled RCTs with 107,860 adults.
Who was studied: People treated for obesity/overweight or type 2 diabetes (a few trials in type 1 diabetes).
Time on treatment: Typically months (median ≈ 28 weeks).
Outcomes examined:
Psychiatric adverse events (serious: e.g., depression with suicidality; non-serious: e.g., anxiety, insomnia)
Mood/depressive symptoms (scales like PHQ/HADS when available)
Quality of life (general, mental-health–related, diabetes- and weight-related)
Eating behavior (emotional eating, restraint) in a subset
Cognition (limited data)
What did they find?
1) Psychiatric safety
No increase vs placebo in serious or non-serious psychiatric side effects across trials.
Regulators’ concerns about suicidality were specifically examined where data existed; overall, no signal of higher risk emerged in these RCTs.
2) Mood / Depression
Depression scores did not worsen on GLP-1s compared with placebo (overall no meaningful change on average).
Some individuals may feel better or worse, but across many trials, the average effect on mood was neutral.
3) Quality of life
Small, statistically significant improvements in several quality-of-life domains, including mental-health–related quality of life, physical functioning, and diabetes/weight-related quality of life.
4) Eating behaviors
In a subset of 3 randomized trials (~341 people) that directly measured eating patterns, GLP-1 treatment was linked to:
Less emotional eating (small effect) — fewer episodes of eating in response to stress, sadness, or boredom.
More healthy restraint (small effect) — a bit more ability to pause, plan, and set reasonable limits around food.
Translation: Many people found it a little easier to stop at “satisfied,” delay impulse eating, and follow a plan. These are modest average changes, not dramatic shifts.
5) Cognition
Very limited data; no clear effect identified.
What are the limitations?
Who was included: Many trials excluded people with active psychiatric conditions or recent suicidality. Results may not apply to everyone with complex mental-health histories.
What was measured: Mental-health outcomes were often secondary (not the main focus). Only a few trials measured anxiety or suicidality in a standardized way.
How long: Follow-up was short- to mid-term (mostly months). We need more long-term data.
Which GLP-1s: Not every brand/dose has identical evidence for each outcome; eating-behavior data, for example, came mostly from liraglutide studies.
What this means for patients
For most adults using GLP-1s for obesity or diabetes, current trial data are reassuring: no higher rates of psychiatric side effects than placebo, no average worsening in mood, and small improvements in well-being and eating control.
Individual experiences vary. If you notice mood changes (better or worse), sleep problems, anxiety, or any thoughts of self-harm, contact your clinician promptly.
You’ll get the most from GLP-1 therapy by pairing it with structured meals, protein-forward snacks, regular movement, sleep support, and stress-coping tools—which can amplify those small gains in eating control.
Q&A
Do GLP-1s cause depression or suicidality?
In these randomized trials, no increased risk was found versus placebo. Still, stay in close touch with your care team, especially if you have a personal or family history of mood disorders.
Can GLP-1s help mood?
On average, depression scores did not change. However, people reported small improvements in mental-health–related quality of life—think overall day-to-day well-being rather than clinical depression.
Will I stop emotional eating?
Not entirely—but the evidence suggests modest reductions in emotional eating and modest increases in restraint (healthy control). Many patients describe it as having a bit more space between urge and action.
Source:
Pierret ACS, Mizuno Y, Saunders P, et al. Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. 2025.
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