Chemically Imbalanced: The Making and Unmaking of the Serotonin Myth

Featured on ITV’s THIS MORNING and in SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE 'controversial and courageous' – DAILY MAIL For years, we’ve been led to believe that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and antidepressants are the solution. But what if this widely accepted belief has been built on unreliable truths? In Chemically Imbalanced, renowned psychiatrist Joanna Moncrieff takes readers on a thought-provoking journey through the history of the serotonin theory of depression, from its origins in the 1960s to its widespread acceptance in the 1990s. With clarity and compelling evidence, Moncrieff exposes how scientific understanding has been swayed by social and economic forces, leading to misconceptions that have shaped treatment decisions for millions. Accessible yet profoundly insightful, Chemically Imbalanced is essential reading for anyone seeking to make more informed choices about their mental health and understand the forces that shape the way we perceive and treat depression today.

Table of Contents:
Title Copyright Contents Foreword by Chris van Tulleken Preface Part 1 The Issues 1 How the Chemical Imbalance Theory Changed Our Lives 2 Justifying Antidepressants: The Purpose of the Chemical Imbalance Theory 3 So, What is Depression? 4 What are Antidepressants? Part 2 The History 5 The Origins of the Chemical Imbalance Theory and the Early History of Antidepressants 6 Serotonin Arrives on the Scene 7 The ‘Age of Depression’ Part 3 The Science 8 Reviewing the Evidence on the Serotonin Theory of Depression 9 What Antidepressant Research Really Shows 10 Spinning Straw into Gold: How We Came to Believe that Antidepressants are Effective 11 How Antidepressants Affect Feelings and Sex 12 Dependence and Withdrawal Effects of Antidepressants Part 4 Reactions 13 Moving the Goalposts 14 Battening Down the Hatches: Public Reactions 15 The Profession Strikes Back Part 5 The Future 16 Alternative Approaches: The Good, the Bad and the Worrying 17 Informed Consent Epilogue Appendix 1: Public Information Suggesting Depression is Linked to a ‘Chemical Imbalance’ Appendix 2: What to Do if You are Taking Antidepressants: Advice and Resources Glossary Acknowledgements Notes

About the Author :
JOANNA MONCRIEFF is Professor of Critical and Social Psychiatry at University College London, and a consultant psychiatrist for the NHS. She is an expert in the field, and in 2022 she was the lead author of a landmark study into the theory of serotonin and depression. She is a founder member and co-chairperson of the Critical Psychiatry Network, an influential network of psychiatrists and other doctors. She has written for The Guardian, Daily Mail, The Conversation, Literary Review, was profiled in the Spectator magazine and has been interviewed for The Guardian’s Science Weekly podcast and the Evening Standard’s Tech and Science Daily, amongst others.

Review :
'controversial and courageous' 'the most comprehensive rebuttal to date' ‘Authoritative and well-researched, Chemically Imbalanced documents the overinflation of antidepressant efficacy, where the false scientific information repeated is altogether misleading. The scale of deception and fraud unearthed is staggering and incendiary.’ 'A complicated story told with patience and passion on behalf of the patient.'