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Key points
- GLP-1 drugs are showing promise as part of a treatment plan for some mental health disorders.
- There is more research data about GLP-1 use for depression and substance use disorders than other disorders.
- GLP-1 drugs should not be used for eating disorders except when part of a research trial.
GLP-1 medications are effective for the treatment of overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Emerging evidence has suggested that the GLP-1 medications may also be useful for the treatment of some psychiatric disorders
People with diabetes and/or obesity “have an elevated risk of developing depression, anxiety, and suicide” (Taipale, 2026). There is good evidence that GLP-1 drugs can improve these co-morbid conditions in some patients
GLP-1 is a hormone secreted from the intestinal tract triggered by eating food. It stimulates insulin release from the pancreas, slows stomach emptying, and makes people feel full
GLP-1 is also produced in the brain and affects nerve function, “energy balance, appetite regulation, and brain rewards from food and drug intake” (Angarita, 2021). It also decreases inflammation and oxidative stress, which are implicated in the development of depression and anxiety (Gunturu, 2024)
Depression
Several studies “show improvement in depression symptoms following treatment with GLP-1” (Gunturu, 2024). For example, one study showed a significant reduction in depression scores in subjects taking GLP-1 compared to subjects taking a placebo (Chen, 2024)
In addition to improvements in depressive symptoms, GLP-1 has “been shown to have neuroprotective…properties” (Cooper, 2023)
In contrast, one research trial using GLP-1 drugs on obese research subjects did not show a benefit from GLP-1 in the prevention of depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior (Kornelius, 20240). However, this study did not address whether the depressive subjects improved on these medications
When GLP-1 drugs were first released, the FDA did surveillance for possible negative side effects. There was early evidence suggesting that suicidal ideation and behavior were more common among people taking these drugs. However, new data convinced the FDA that GLP-1 does not increase the risk of suicidal ideation or behavior (Drug Safety Communication, 2026)
An example of research supporting the FDA’s new position is a study showing GLP-1 is “not associated with an increased risk of psychiatric adverse events or worsening depression symptoms” (Pierret, 2025)
Substance Use Disorders
Evidence supports the use of GLP-1 medications for “treating alcohol and other substance use disorders” (Farokhnia, 2026). This is not surprising because GLP-1 medications “inhibit dopamine release in the brain’s reward center” (Laurindo, 2022)
Alcohol use disorder treatment by GLP-1 medication is the best studied of the chemical addictions. In one study, “low dose semaglutide reduced the amount of alcohol consumed, fewer drinks per day, and decreased weekly craving” (Hendershot, 2025)
In another study, a GLP-1 drug “significantly reduced heavy drinking days and total alcohol intake in a subset of obese patients” (Klausen, 2022). In this study, only obese research subjects had a reduction in alcohol use
Overall, it appears that overweight, obese, and/or diabetic research subjects have better results than normal-weight subjects when using a GLP-1 medication to treat a substance use disorder (Marquez-Meneses, 2025)
In addition to alcohol use disorder, other substances have also been studied, “such as psychostimulants, opioids, and nicotine” (Bruns, 2024). Nicotine addiction from smoking and vaping is an ongoing public health challenge. Stopping smoking can be challenging. “One major barrier to long-term smoking abstinence is body weight gain during withdrawal” (Herman, 2024)
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Studies have shown that GLP-1 reduces the voluntary use of nicotine and prevents withdrawal-induced overeating and weight gain (Herman, 2024). Also, evidence suggests that “GLP-1 improves cognitive deficits, as well as depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors, which contribute to smoking relapse during withdrawal” (Herman, 2024)
Eating Disorders
Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common specific eating disorder (Himmerich, 2024). “BED is frequently associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, alcohol and nicotine use disorder, and obesity” (Himmerich, 2024)
Although the role of GLP-1 medication in the treatment of BED is not established, research has shown that these medications reduce “binge eating in individuals with obesity or overweight” (Himmerich, 2024). Also, research suggests that there may be neuropsychiatric effects from GLP-1 use that provide risk reduction for binge eating disorder (Choudhury, 2026)
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Unfortunately, some individuals use GLP-1 medications “to maintain their eating disorders (e.g., anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder) through rapid dietary restriction and weight loss” (Peiper, 2026). This is an unsafe practice and should not be done
Weight Gain from Antidepressants and Antipsychotics
Weight gain is a well-known side effect of many of these medications. Some people stop taking their medication because of weight gain
There are recommendations for pharmacologic treatment of weight gain from these medications. For example, one recommendation is to add “metformin or GLP-1” drugs to manage weight gain from these drugs (Solmi, 2024; Mouawad, 2025)
In one study, GLP-1 was given for 30 weeks to patients with schizophrenia who had prediabetes and obesity. The results showed that the treatment “was safe, lowered blood glucose and weight” (average loss of 20.3 pounds), “and improved physical quality of life without worsening mental health” (Ganeshalingam, 2025)
Anxiety Disorders
There is less human research on the use of GLP-1 medications to help manage anxiety. Good studies of animals given GLP-1 have shown “consistent reduction in anxiety-like behavior and improved biological markers related to stressresilience, while clinical cohorts (i.e., human studies) demonstrated mixed but suggestive evidence of reduced anxiety incidence and lower suicidal ideation risk” (Yi, 2026)
The Bottom Line
GLP-1 medications are evolving as a potential treatment for several mental health disorders. Depression and substance use disorders have more data than others. More extensive studies are needed before a definitive recommendation can be made for when and how to use GLP-1 medications and what dose is optimal for this purpose
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Drug Safety Commission (PDF-208KB) 01-13-2026. www.fda.gov
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