Health experts warns, weight-loss drugs causing mental health issues

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Ideal weight loss is a never-ending desire for everyone’s dreams, but if done in a healthy way, it becomes very slow.

People around the world are experimenting with quick ways to get rid of excess weight by doing medical procedures and surgeries or using weight loss drugs.

Considering the harmful effects, medical drug regulators in Australia have added two new safety warnings for people using weight loss drugs.

The Treatment Authority TGA says these drugs are causing serious damage to mental health.

“Physicians should monitor patients for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behaviour, and any unusual changes in mood or behaviour,” the TGA said.

It added that a warning about the potential risk of suicidal thoughts applies to the GLP-1 RA class of drugs (often called semaglutides), which include Ozempic, Vigovi, Saxenda, Trulicity, and Movanjaro.

The warning comes after a 2024 study analyzing the World Health Organization’s global database of adverse effects from these drugs found reports that suicidal thoughts were slightly higher for drugs containing semaglutide than for other drugs.

The TGA also asked its Advisory Committee on Medicine ACM for independent expert advice.

Database evaluation of adverse event reports for the GLP-1 RA class through September 2025 found 72 reports of suicidal ideation, six reports of depressive suicidality, four reports of suicide attempts, two reports of all types of suicide, and one report of suicidal ideation.

The data also shows that more than 2 million people are using weight loss drugs in 2023-2024, with more users expected.

“Studies of patients who have undergone bariatric surgery have also shown that significant or rapid weight loss can be a real trigger event from a mental health perspective,” said Dr Terry Lynn South, chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ Special Interest Group on Obesity Management.

The TGA has also issued a separate warning around Movanjaro and contraceptive pills.

The TGA has warned that a link between the use of the GLP-1 type of drug, ‘Trezpetide’ (Movanjaro), and the reduced effectiveness of oral contraceptives cannot be ruled out.

“The drug delays the digestion of food and therefore affects the absorption of the oral contraceptive pill and the effectiveness of the pill.”

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also reviewing reports of suicidal thoughts or actions in people on GLP-1-type drugs, with a preliminary assessment saying it has “found no evidence that use of these drugs causes suicidal thoughts or actions.”

“However, due to the very small number of suicidal thoughts or actions in both drug users and comparison control groups, we cannot definitively state that a small risk may exist. Therefore, the FDA continues to consider this issue.”

The TGA also reported that it had conducted a trial on a comprehensive investigation using a small cohort, and after seeking advice from the ACM, found that the available evidence was insufficient to support an association between GLP-1-type drugs and suicidal or self-harming behaviour.

It also stated that for more accurate results, the final assessment can be issued after combining data from larger groups.

Additionally, GLP-1-based drugs are an advanced class of drugs that mimic the activity of the natural hormone, slowing digestion and helping people feel fuller for longer.

Moreover, these drugs were originally developed to treat people with type 2 diabetes but have gained importance in helping people manage obesity.