Health

Weight Loss Jabs Show Promise as Mental Health Treatment

Published MAY 11 2025

#Health

Weight Loss Jabs Show Promise as Mental Health Treatment

Story

Above: Illustrative image of Ozempic, a prescription weight-loss injection, displayed on a body weight scale. Image credit: Michael Siluk/Contributor/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Facts

Weight-loss jabs like Ozempic and Wegovy may be effective at treating mental health issues in addition to curbing patients' appetite, according to a new study published by scientists from the University of Bern.
Daily Mirror
The Telegraph
Across 36 studies involving 26,000 adults in 19 different countries, the scientists reviewed the impact of four weight-loss drugs (semaglutide, liraglutide, exenatide, and dulaglutide), concluding that they were "effective weight loss treatment options for patients with mental illness."
Daily Mirror
The Times (UK)
Google Docs
The medications, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking gut hormones that regulate hunger while potentially offering anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties that could reduce neuroinflammation.
Guardian
The Times (UK)
The study, which was presented to the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, stated that the GLP-1s demonstrated no adverse mental health effects and that in patients with mental health illness, the drugs "led to an improvement of depressive symptoms and quality of life."
The Sun
Guardian
Pubmed
The study, however, stressed that more randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes, longer treatment durations, extended follow-up periods, and standardized psychiatric questionnaires were needed to fully assess the drug's effectiveness in patients with obesity and mental illness.
Pubmed
Daily Mirror
Study lead Dr. Sigrid Breit said the results were "important for people with severe mental disorders," who are three times more likely to suffer from obesity than the general population.
Guardian
The Sun

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

The studies show that weight-loss drugs can serve a dual purpose, improving physical and mental health at the same time. The benefits this could bring could revolutionize treatment approaches for millions of patients, especially those who have mental illness, who are three times as likely to suffer from obesity.

The Telegraph

The Times (UK)

Narrative B

While the results are promising, additional evidence is needed to fully evaluate the impact weight loss drugs can have on physical and mental health. There is not enough data to make a definitive link that GLP-1 receptor agonists can perform this dual role in the long term, making further studies a top priority.

Google Docs

The Telegraph