New Delhi, India

A new study has revealed that a certain class of antidepressants can make patients emotionally "blunt" or dull. 

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Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which happen to be the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, target serotonin or the "feel-good" chemical that as per scientists appears to affect mood, emotions, appetite, and digestion. 

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The joint study by the University of Copenhagen and the University of Cambridge involved 66 healthy volunteers, who were "semi-randomised to receive either 20 mg of escitalopram (a first-line antidepressant) or placebo, balanced for age, sex and intelligence quotient (IQ) for at least 21 days."

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32 patients received escitalopram while 36 were given the placebo. It found that the drug reduced "reinforcement sensitivity" compared to the placebo. 

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This reinforcement sensitivity theory proposes that there are three brain-behavioural systems that underlie individual differences in sensitivity to reward, punishment, and motivation. So, what the drugs did was reduce these behavioural systems and essentially "blunt" a person's ability to modify their behaviours according to the stimuli.

Professor Barbara Sahakian, of the University of Cambridge, who is a senior author of the study says that SSRIs "take away some of the emotional pain that people who experience depression feel, but, unfortunately, it seems that they also take away some of the enjoyment."

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"Emotional blunting" has long been a side-effect reported by patients who have been prescribed anti-depressants, with around 40-60 per cent experiencing a detachment from the things they once used to enjoy. It is estimated that globally, around a hundred million suffer from mental health disorders like depression, and most of them are prescribed SSRIs. As per NHS data, between 2021-22, in just England, around 8.3 million patients were prescribed these antidepressants,

(With inputs from agencies)

If you or someone you know wants help for mental well being, don't hesitate to talk to a professional. Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, 98204 66726, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata), Parivarthan (Bangalore) +91 76766 02602

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