New study indicates that osteoporosis and bone fractures are significant potential risks of using antidepressants.  Citizens Commission on Human Rights calls on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to update antidepressants prescribing information and medication guides to reflect these research findings and raise awareness.

New research has found that the use of antidepressants is associated with a significantly increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures in women.  Using more than one antidepressant and antidepressant use longer than one year were associated with an even greater risk.  The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) calls on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to update antidepressants prescribing information to reflect these research findings and encourages women to discuss any concerns with their prescribers.

Osteoporosis is a medical condition that weakens bones and increases the risk of bone fractures, with around 80% of cases occurring in women.  While it is generally accepted that depression negatively affects bone density, the mechanism leading to the bone deterioration remains unclear, according to researchers at the University of Qatar, who conducted a study to determine whether antidepressant use could be a mechanism.

Using data from 30,149 adult women in the U.S. who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2020, researchers found significantly higher risks of osteoporosis and bone fractures among women using any class of antidepressants. 

“The results indicate that antidepressant use, irrespective of class, was associated with a 44% increase in the odds of osteoporosis,” they reported, while “the odds of fractures were elevated by 62%.”

New research indicates that antidepressant use is linked to a 44% increase in the risk of osteoporosis and a 62% increase in the risk of bone fractures.”

Using more than one antidepressant increased the risk of osteoporosis even more, and so did taking an antidepressant long-term.  “The odds of developing osteoporosis increased by 6% for every additional year of antidepressants use, regardless of the antidepressant class,” the researchers wrote.

They also warned that a public health issue may be developing.  The study found that phenylpiperazines, a class of antidepressants that has been replacing prescriptions of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, had the strongest association with osteoporosis and nearly the strongest association with fractures among all classes of antidepressants.  This led the researchers to warn that an increasing number of prescriptions for phenylpiperazines “potentially rais[es] serious public health concerns.”

Because current guidelines for osteoporosis treatment do not address the potential of an increased risk of osteoporosis from using antidepressants, the researchers called for raised awareness of the issue.

“Our findings underscore the need for heightened awareness of the adverse effects of antidepressants on bone health, particularly in adult women,” they concluded.  The study was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

CCHR has called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to update antidepressants prescribing information and medication guides to reflect recent research findings, including an increased risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases,  sexual dysfunction that can be permanent, problems for babies born to mothers using antidepressants, and withdrawal symptoms when quitting, even if tapering off the drugs.

Anne Goedeke, president of the CCHR National Affairs Office, said, “With studies continuing to reveal the potential risks of serious side effects from antidepressant use,  prescribers have a duty to discuss these risks with their patients. By updating the prescribing information and medication guides, the FDA will help ensure that prescribers and patients know these risks.”

A common reason for prescribing antidepressants – to correct a supposed lack of the brain chemical serotonin – was found to lack a clear scientific basis, after a comprehensive review of prior research failed to find sufficient evidence to support the theory.  Researchers in that study called into question the prescribing of antidepressants.  Some 45 million Americans are currently prescribed these psychiatric drugs.

Anyone wishing to discontinue or change the dose of a psychiatric drug is cautioned to do so only under the supervision of a physician because of potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms or other complications.

“The growing evidence of risks from antidepressants and the rising rates of depression, suicide, and other mental health issues add to the urgency of implementing more non-drug solutions that address the root causes of the emotional distress people experience,” Goedeke said.