Debunking the chemical imbalance theory of depression

Date of Lecture: Thursday 18 May 2023 About the lecture: This lecture will describe recent research that exposed the fact that there is no convincing evidence to support the claim that depression is caused by low serotonin. It will describe the author’s previous work which challenges the general idea that the drugs prescribed for mental health problems work by targeting an underlying biological abnormality. It will present an alternative explanation for the action of these drugs that highlights how they are substances that change normal brain chemistry and thereby modify normal mental activity and behaviour. Finally it will consider what this means for the use of drugs such as antidepressants, and suggest that we need to fundamentally re-evaluate the pros and cons of using them. About the speaker: Joanna Moncrieff is a Professor of Critical and Social Psychiatry at University College London.