GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may reduce, not increase, suicide risk in adolescents

As with any new medication, parents and doctors may be concerned that the use of GLP-1 weight loss medications by children and adolescents may increase psychiatric risks, including the risk of suicide and suicidal ideation.

But a new study of more than 54,000 American teenagers found no such link.

In fact, obese children who used these drugs had a 33 percent decrease in their risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts compared to adolescents who did not use them, Israeli researchers reported.

There could be many reasons behind the improved mental outlook linked to the use of drugs like Wegovy (semaglutide), said a team led by Dr. Liya Kerem, of Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem.

The first is quite simple: “Adolescent obesity, per se, is associated with decreased quality of life and increased risk of psychiatric disorders,” the researchers noted.

So as GLP-1 medications help teens lose weight, their risk of suicidal thoughts may decrease.

The results were published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Sales of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound (tirzepatide) have exploded among adults, and with one in five American children now obese, use of these drugs by adolescents is also on the rise.

However, Kerem’s team said the data on whether GLP-1 drugs could trigger depression and other psychiatric problems was mixed.

“Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people,” the researchers also noted, “with 18 percent of high school students reporting suicidal ideation.”

Thus, they believed that research into the possible psychiatric dangers of GLP-1 drugs in young people was long overdue.

The research team tracked rates of suicidal thoughts (ideas) among a group of more than 54,000 young people aged 12 to 18, all of whom were obese.

A total of 4,052 of these children were taking a GLP-1-injected weight loss drug, such as Wegovy or Saxenda (liraglutide), while the other 50,112 were not.

Of the two drugs tested, “psychiatric events” were less likely in those taking Wegovy than in those using Saxenda, perhaps because Wegovy tends to cause greater weight loss, the researchers said.

Wegovy, in particular, “was associated with better weight-related quality of life” among adolescents who received it, Kerem’s team said.

They emphasized that the study was not designed to prove that using a GLP-1 actually led to a decrease in suicidal thoughts.

However, aside from the fact that healthy weight loss could improve adolescents’ moods, the researchers pointed to previous studies suggesting that GLP-1 drugs have a positive influence on brain chemistry.

“Future prospective studies” should examine possible mechanisms that might allow GLP-1 drugs to relieve psychiatric symptoms in adolescents, the Israeli team said.

If you or a loved one are experiencing a suicidal crisis or emotional distress, call Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988.

More information

Learn more about how GLP-1 medications work at the Cleveland Clinic.