#ssris — Public Fediverse posts

DATE: August 17, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
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TITLE: Early antidepressant use is linked to higher levels of sexual boredom

URL: https://www.psypost.org/early-antidepressant-use-is-linked-to-higher-levels-of-sexual-boredom/

Research suggests that people who have been taking common antidepressants for a few months to two years experience higher levels of general and sexual boredom than those not taking the medication. These findings indicate that boredom might be an overlooked side effect that could influence whether patients continue their treatment. The study was published in the journal Psychological Reports.

Boredom is a psychological state characterized by wanting to engage in a satisfying activity but being unable to do so. It is generally understood in two forms. State boredom refers to a temporary feeling of dissatisfaction in a specific moment or situation. Trait boredom describes a person’s general, stable disposition toward feeling bored across various situations.

Both forms of boredom are heavily linked to negative mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and impulsive behavior. The experience of boredom can lead to low-energy states like lethargy. It can also produce high-energy states characterized by restlessness, agitation, and frustration.

Sexual boredom is a related concept that refers to a tendency to feel dissatisfied or unengaged with the repetitive or routine aspects of one’s sex life. This is distinct from sexual dysfunction, which involves physical difficulties with sexual response or pleasure. People dealing with sexual boredom often experience a lack of psychological stimulation during intimacy, even if their physical capacity for sex remains intact.

To cope with this monotony, sexually bored individuals sometimes seek out novel experiences to increase their arousal. Past research associates high levels of sexual boredom with hypersexuality, excessive pornography use, and general life dissatisfaction.

People with depression frequently report high levels of both general and sexual boredom. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are the most commonly prescribed class of medication used to treat depression. These medications are widely known to cause side effects related to sexual dysfunction, with a large percentage of patients experiencing a reduced sex drive or difficulty reaching orgasm.

SSRIs can also cause emotional blunting, a side effect where a person feels less intense sadness but also less intense joy, motivation, or interest. Because depression and SSRI use both affect sexual and general engagement, researchers wanted to see how antidepressant use relates to different types of boredom. A research team led by Juliana Riccardi, a researcher at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and the New School for Social Research, set out to explore this relationship. They focused specifically on SSRIs to avoid the varying effects of different medication classes.

The researchers recruited 251 adult participants in the United States through an online platform. The participants ranged in age from 21 to 75 years old. Fifty of these individuals reported taking an SSRI medication, while the remaining 201 participants were not taking any antidepressants.

The researchers asked the participants to complete a series of validated questionnaires to measure their psychological well-being. These surveys included the Boredom Proneness Scale to measure trait boredom and the State Boredom Measure to assess recent feelings of immediate boredom. The participants also completed the Sexual Boredom Scale, which gauges the monotony and routine in their sex lives by asking about their need for variety and change to feel sexually satisfied.

Finally, the researchers used the Beck Depression Inventory to measure the severity of the participants’ depressive symptoms. This questionnaire asks individuals to rate changes in their appetite, energy levels, sleep patterns, and overall mood over the previous two weeks.

The participants taking SSRIs were divided into two groups based on how long they had been on the medication. The short-term use group consisted of 25 individuals who had been taking SSRIs for a period ranging from six weeks to two years. The long-term use group consisted of 25 individuals who had been taking the medication for more than two years.

When comparing these groups, the researchers found that short-term SSRI users reported higher levels of state boredom, trait boredom, and sexual boredom than individuals who did not take SSRIs. The long-term SSRI users, on the other hand, had boredom scores that did not differ from those of the non-users in a way that was statistically significant.

To ensure that these results were not just a byproduct of underlying depression, the researchers ran additional statistical tests. They found that even after adjusting for the severity of a participant’s depressive symptoms, the short-term SSRI users still reported higher levels of state boredom and sexual boredom than those not taking the drugs. The differences in trait boredom, however, disappeared once depression was accounted for.

The findings suggest that heightened state and sexual boredom are present during the first two years of SSRI treatment. The researchers propose that as the medication gradually alleviates the primary symptoms of depression, people might begin to engage more with their environments again. This re-engagement could eventually lead to a reduction in boredom for those who stay on the drugs for several years.

Alternatively, the elevated boredom in the short-term group might point to a reason why some people stop taking their medication. If patients experience lingering sexual and general boredom during the first few years of treatment, they might find the experience deeply unpleasant. This frustration could lead them to abandon the medication before they reach the long-term phase.

The researchers also found that sexual boredom was strongly linked to general boredom tendencies. When the statistical models accounted for a person’s general trait and state boredom, the specific differences in sexual boredom between the SSRI users and non-users disappeared. This indicates that sexual boredom operates as an extension of a person’s overall tendency to feel bored, rather than as a unique symptom of depression or medication use.

Because this study relied on observational data collected at a single point in time, it cannot prove that taking SSRIs causes people to become bored. It is possible that individuals with severe boredom and depression are simply more likely to be prescribed antidepressants in the first place. The study also relied entirely on self-reported data, which can introduce biases based on how accurately participants remember and report their own experiences.

The number of participants taking SSRIs was relatively modest, which limited the statistical power of the analysis. Because there were only 25 people in each SSRI subgroup, the researchers could not definitively determine if the differences between short-term and long-term users were a direct result of the medication’s duration.

The study did not track patients’ complete medical histories regarding past antidepressant use. Some individuals who stop taking SSRIs experience a condition known as post-SSRI sexual dysfunction, where sexual side effects persist long after the medication is discontinued. The researchers could not account for how this condition might have influenced the boredom scores of individuals in the non-user group who might have taken antidepressants in the past.

Future studies would need to track patients over several years to observe how boredom levels change as they start and continue antidepressant treatment. Researchers could also look at other classes of antidepressants to see if they produce similar associations.

Identifying boredom as a potential hurdle in mental health treatment could change how doctors approach medication management. By discussing boredom as a possible experience during early SSRI use, clinicians might help patients navigate the side effects and maintain their treatment regimens.

The study, “Levels of Reported Depression, Boredom Salience, and Sexual Boredom as a Function of Length of Time on Antidepressant Medications,” was authored by Juliana Riccardi, Ali Revill, Sally McHugh, Emily Weiss, Panteá Farvid, and McWelling Todman.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/early-antidepressant-use-is-linked-to-higher-levels-of-sexual-boredom/

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #SSRI #antidepressants #boredom #sexualboredom #mentalhealth #depression #boringsalience #psychologicalreports #SSRIs #treatmentadherence

Folks on #SSRIs and other tricyclic antidepressants: did you know that a #heatwave is more dangerous for you? Please read below and look after yourself even more than normal. tl;dr: they make you less able to sweat (or also sweat more, so you need to drink more) and regulate temperature, so you need to not rely on body feedback for how hot you're getting. Stay hydrated more than normal, stay shady 😎

https://mentalhealth-uk.org/news-and-insights/summer-and-mental-health/

Antidepressants Under Scrutiny: Complex Debates Erupt Over Efficacy and Prescription

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump's comments spark debate on antidepressant use. Experts explain why it's complex.

#antidepressants, #mentalhealth, #SSRIs, #RFKJr, #Trump

https://newsletter.tf/antidepressant-use-debated-after-political-statements/

New calls to re-evaluate antidepressant use follow statements from political figures. Experts say the issue is more complex than just overmedication.

#antidepressants, #mentalhealth, #SSRIs, #RFKJr, #Trump
https://newsletter.tf/antidepressant-use-debated-after-political-statements/

Prescribed Antidepressants Thwarted by Mitski

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://thehardtimes.net/music/prescribed-antidepressants-thwarted-by-mitski/

“In psychiatry, as in all areas of medicine, prescribing and deprescribing occur every day as part of individualized, evidence-based treatment planning between physicians and patients. The solution is not to stigmatize psychiatric medication or impose broad assumptions on clinical care, but to ensure that patients have access to the full range of evidence-based treatments and that decisions are guided by the best available science and each patient’s needs.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/05/antidepressants-rfk-jr-maha

#theguardian #maha
#ssris #deprescribing
#rfkjr #ushealthcarepolicy
#prozac #zoloft #lexapro

RE: https://masto.ai/@Nonilex/116539973807308301

1. Do not mess with people's #SSRIs.
2. #Depression medicine is also often (and appropriately) prescribed for people with #dementia (and their #caregivers

#USPol
#MAHA
#RFK

…About 1 in 6 #US adults reported currently taking #SSRI #medications, which are widely available in generic form, acc/to a 2026 study in the medical journal BMJ #MentalHealth. The American ​Psychiatric Association considers #SSRIs a first option, evidence-based treatment for #depression.

The #FDA has authority over their use, & ​any new restrictions would require strong scientific evidence of a risk to patients that outweighs their benefits. Reviewing new evidence could take months or years….

🚨🚨🚨 RFKJr’s “health” officials explored US #ban of some widely-used #antidepressants🚨🚨🚨

#US #health dept ​ofcls last week explored whether they could ban certain drugs in a widely prescribed class of #antidepressants as #HHS Secy #RFKJr prepared to roll out a plan to reduce their use….

Their interest centered on…selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or #SSRIs, such as #Zoloft, #Prozac & #Lexapro, which have been available in the US for decades….

#MentalHealth
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/kennedys-health-officials-explored-us-ban-some-widely-used-antidepressants-2026-05-08/?utm_source=braze&utm_medium=notifications&utm_campaign=2025_engagement

The Science Behind Antidepressant Discontinuation and Withdrawal Effects

#AntidepressantWithdrawal #MentalHealthAwareness #SSRIs #MedicationTapering #DepressionTreatment #Psychotherapy #SerotoninSyndrome #MentalHealthMatters #MedicationManagement #WithdrawalSymptoms

https://youtube.com/shorts/QjWZv8X0zAs?feature=share

Your Mental Health Toolkit: Medications, Therapy, and the Power of Understanding

#MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #SSRIs #SNRIs #Therapy #CBT #DepressionHelp #MentalWellness #Psychology #SelfCare #HealthScience #MentalHealthMatters

https://youtube.com/shorts/Ucjp3T9GK20?feature=share

RFK Jr. Is Already Taking Aim at Antidepressants
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/kennedy-rfk-antidepressants-ssri-school-shootings/

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr has been planted by Trump in the role of Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

He wants to slash scientifically-established medication, hospital treatment, financial benefits, and government programs for people with these conditions:
- Chronic illness.
- Autism.
- ADHD, and medication including Adderall and Ritalin.
- Asthma.
- Obesity.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Psoriasis.
- Mental illness such as depression and anxiety, and SSRI medication including Prozac and Zoloft.

RFK Jr says wants people who live with chronic illness such as those listed above — who often require daily preventative medication, a professional carer/assistant, or an assistive device for their daily functioning and to maintain their quality of life and sense of dignity and autonomy — to be stripped of their treatment and put into in "Wellness Farms" for "three or four years if they need it".

This is the sort of inhumane mistreatment of people requiring medical care that happened in the USSR and still goes on today in North Korea. It should not happen in the USA.

This move by RFK Jr is going to destroy childhoods, ruin families, cause people financial ruin, and for some people it will cost them their life.

#USPol #RFKJr #Trump #ChronicIllness #ChronicDisease #Autism #ADHD #Adderall #Ritalin #Asthma #Obesity #MultipleSclerosis #Psoriasis #MentalHealth #MentalIllness #Depression #Anxiety #SSRIs #Prozac #Zoloft

Hey #Fediverse. Let's crowdsource important medical decisions.

Doc wants me to try an #antidepressant called #lexapro.

Anyone got an experience to share, good or bad? With this or any other #SSRI drugs?

#antidepressants #SSRIs #medicine

Someone recently told me that he won't try taking antidepressants because he doesn't want to be numbed by drugs. I probably thought this way, too, but I've found it to be the other way around.

Depression is numbing. Anxiety is a locked room. I'm not a psychiatrist, but it's my understanding that #SSRIs reverse the neurological damage caused by #depression. I've experienced this as winter into spring.

#mentalhealth #PMDD

New blog post comparing running therapy to antidepressants!

This isn't the first study to find equivalent outcomes. What's a bit more interesting is thinking about the adherence & sub populations who this is a viable alternative for.

@[email protected]
@[email protected]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-do-you-know/202310/the-all-natural-difficult-alternative-to-antidepressants

#Psychology #PsychologyToday #Antidepressants #SSRIs #Running #Medication #MentalHealth

The Truth about #depression Serotonin, #ssris and #psychedelics | Psychedelic Spotlight https://psychedelicspotlight.com/the-truth-about-depression-serotonin-ssris-and-psychedelics/

this is your regular reminder that #SSRIs/#antidepressants and other drugs can make you more susceptible to overheating! Please make sure you're hydrating, wearing cool, covering clothes/hats, and keeping to the shade

Antidepressants can take away enjoyment along with emotional pain, research suggests | The Independent
#SSRIs
#Antidepressants
#EmotionalBlunting

Scientists explain why SSRI medication can cause ’emotional blunting’

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/antidepressants-side-effects-emotions-positive-negative-b2267178.html

A widely-used class of #antidepressants, particularly for persistent or severe cases, is selective #serotonin reuptake #inhibitors (#SSRIs). These drugs target serotonin, a #chemical that carries messages between nerve cells in the brain and has been dubbed the ‘pleasure chemical’.
#Depression #Psychiatry #Neuroscience #sflorg
https://www.sflorg.com/2023/01/psyc01232301.html

Oh, look, I forgot to take my pills this morning! That explains the noise-sensitivity, headache, unsteadiness, and impulsive anger boiling up.
Remember to take your meds, people.
#depression #SSRIs