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Are antidepressants addictive? a literature review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

M. Turki ,
O. Elleuch ,
F. Sahnoun ,
H. E. Mhiri ,
A. Guermazi ,
S. Ellouze ,
N. Halouani  and
J. Aloulou
M. Turki
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
O. Elleuch*
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
F. Sahnoun
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
H. E. Mhiri
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
A. Guermazi
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
S. Ellouze
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
N. Halouani
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
J. Aloulou
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Nowadays, the rates of antidepressant prescription are high and increasing. In this context, the issue of whether these medications are addictive has been increasingly discussed.

Objectives

The aim of this review was to explore the debate about the addictive property of antidepressants.

Methods

We conducted a literature review in the Pubmed database, using the search terms “antidepressants”, “SSRI”, “tricyclic”, “addiction”, “dependence” in various combinations, and narrowing the search to the last 10 years, to identify articles about the addiction to antidepressants.

Results

All the articles included in our study highlighted the fact that antidepressants were associated with withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms are heterogeneous, and long-lasting in some cases, and Paroxetine was shown to have particularly high rates of withdrawal symptoms.

Some articles reported a psychological and physical dependence on antidepressants. However, the most recent studies agreed that, using established classification systems and concepts and after integrating neurobiological and behavioral criteria, antidepressants are shown to have no addictive property.

Conclusions

Antidepressants are proven to be associated with withdrawal symptoms. Whether or not these symptoms are enough to constitute an “addiction” remains controversial, as recent studies agree that antidepressants should not be classified as addictive substances.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 66 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 31st European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2023 , pp. S671
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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