A large observational study published in The Lancet Psychiatry analyzed national health data from 95,490 people in Sweden diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or both who were prescribed diabetes medications between 2009 and 2022. Using a within-individual design in which each participant served as their own control, researchers found that semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) was associated with a 42% lower risk of a composite outcome including psychiatric hospitalization, extended sick leave for psychiatric reasons, self-harm hospitalization, or suicide compared to periods without GLP-1 receptor agonist use. Liraglutide showed an 18% risk reduction, while exenatide and dulaglutide showed no significant association. This was an observational study rather than an RCT, with an average follow-up of 5.2 years; no conflicts of interest were disclosed in the source reporting. The study also noted fewer hospitalizations and reduced sick leave. Researchers and experts hypothesize that effects on dopamine signaling and reduced brain inflammation may explain the findings, but emphasize it is too early to recommend GLP-1 drugs as primary mental health treatments. Further clinical trials are required. Source URL: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/glp-1-drugs-ozempic-wegovy-help-treat-anxiety-depression