Another Outcome of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Possible Repurposing of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors.

Abstract

Antidepressants are among the most frequently prescribed medications in the United States. Depression, or major depressive disorder, is the most common psychiatric disease in the world and a frequent cause of disability. Diagnosis is primarily based on clinical symptoms and self-report. However, recent research and theory development in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder has uncovered immune, digestive, endocrine, neurotrophic, and metabolome biomarkers for possible translation to practice. Also emerging is the possible repurposing of the newer-generation antidepressants— selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)—as a possible future treatment option for COVID-19.