A new study from Griffith University suggests semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, may offer mental health benefits for individuals with bipolar disorder. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 15,000 people in Sweden and found a 21% reduction in psychiatric hospitalizations among those taking semaglutide compared to times they weren't using GLP-1 medications.
The study, led by Professor Mark Taylor from Griffith's School of Medicine and Dentistry, examined 15 years of nationwide Swedish data on bipolar disorder patients prescribed GLP-1 medications. Professor Taylor stated, “People with bipolar disorder who were taking semaglutide (otherwise known as Ozempic or Wegovy), a type of GLP-1 medication, had significantly lower rates of psychiatric hospitalization compared with periods when they were not taking GLP-1 medicines.” He added that the findings “add to growing evidence that GLP-1 receptor agonists may have benefits beyond diabetes and obesity treatment, and could represent a promising new avenue for bipolar research.”
Researchers theorize that semaglutide’s effect on reducing inflammation, cellular stress, and other biological processes associated with bipolar disorder could contribute to mood stabilization and lower relapse rates. However, the benefit wasn't observed with all GLP-1 medications; liraglutide and dulaglutide did not show the same association with reduced hospitalization risk. Professor Taylor expressed hope that the findings will be further investigated through a randomized controlled trial.
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