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Letter to the editor concerning: “The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence”

Molecular Psychiatry (2024)Cite this article

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We read with great interest the article by Moncrieff et al. presenting a systematic umbrella review of the evidence of the serotonin theory of depression [1]. The authors conducted a meaningful and relevant review, and we appreciate the continued attention in the scientific literature to the challenge of molecular psychiatry of serotonin theory in predominantly depressive disorders.

The biological perspective plays a crucial role in psychiatry; mental disorders are increasingly understood in terms of biological mechanisms linked to changes in the structure, chemistry, and function of the brain, and that mental illness does indeed have a biological basis [2]. However, George L. Engel presented the biopsychosocial model (BPS) as a medical model to explain mental illnesses in 1977. Since then, this model has become widely accepted around the world [3], At the same time, as described in some of the reviewed articles, research systematically explained the interaction of three major dimensions (biological, psychological, and social) in the development of psychiatric disorders [4].

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References

  1. Moncrieff J, Cooper RE, Stockmann T, Amendola S, Hengartner MP, Horowitz MA. The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence. Mol Psychiatry. 2022;1–14. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35854107.

  2. Lebowitz MS, Ahn WK. Effects of biological explanations for mental disorders on clinicians’ empathy. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014;111:17786–90.

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  3. Tripathi A, Das A, Kar S. Biopsychosocial model in contemporary psychiatry: Current validity and future prospects. Indian J Psychol Med. 2019;41:582–5.

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  4. Porter RJ. The biopsychosocial model in mental health. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2020;54:773–4.

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  5. Cipriani A, Furukawa TA, Salanti G, Chaimani A, Atkinson LZ, Ogawa Y, et al. Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Lancet. 2018;391:1357–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32802-7.

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  1. Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Science and Health, Koya University, Koya, KOY45, Kurdistan Region – F.R., Iraq

    Darya Rostam Ahmed

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  1. Darya Rostam Ahmed
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Correspondence to Darya Rostam Ahmed.

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Ahmed, D.R. Letter to the editor concerning: “The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence”. Mol Psychiatry (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02461-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02461-4

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