According to a new study from Griffith University, medications used to treat diabetes and obesity (GLP-1 receptor agonists) may also have positive effects on mental health. The paper, published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, shows that these drugs are particularly promising for patients with bipolar disorder.
The large-scale study, based on Swedish national data, examined the clinical histories of nearly 15,000 patients over a 15-year period. According to the study’s lead author, Professor Mark Taylor, individuals with bipolar disorder who took semaglutide (commonly known to the general public as Ozempic or Wegovy) had a 21% lower risk of psychiatric hospitalization compared to periods when they were not using the drug.
According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, 37 million people worldwide (one in every 200) live with bipolar disorder. In many cases, this diagnosis co-occurs with obesity and diabetes, pointing to shared biological underpinnings. Scientists suggest that the medication reduces inflammatory processes and cellular stress in the brain, which helps support mood stability and reduce the risk of relapse.
Notably, the reduction in hospitalization rates was associated exclusively with semaglutide — other similar medications (liraglutide and dulaglutide) did not show comparable results. The study’s authors note that these findings open up entirely new perspectives in bipolar disorder research, though randomized clinical trials are essential to draw definitive conclusions and better understand the underlying mechanisms.
