Psychiatrist warns of mental health risks linked to GLP
Psychiatrist Dr. Gagu Matsebula warns that the use of GLP-1 weight-loss medications may lead to mental health risks, including emotional blunting and depression. He advises that patients using these drugs require close monitoring for mood changes and suggests prioritizing lifestyle changes.
Why it matters
As GLP-1 drugs gain popularity for weight loss, understanding their potential psychological side effects is critical for patient safety and public health.
The growing use of GLP-1 medications for weight loss is raising questions about their potential impact on mental health, with a specialist psychiatrist warning that patients need to be closely monitored.
Speaking to VOC News, Dr Gagu Matsebula, a specialist psychiatrist, says GLP-1 medicines have been used for around 20 years to treat type 2 diabetes, but their weight-loss benefits have increasingly brought them into the spotlight.
He says the medications reduce appetite and food cravings, but this can also remove food as a coping mechanism for people dealing with emotional difficulties.
“When we give someone these GLP-1 medicines that take away a person’s appetite and the person stops eating, there’s a loss of a potential coping mechanism.”
Matsebula says underlying anxiety, depression or distress could become more noticeable, while some patients may experience what is known as emotional blunting.
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