Serotonin: Understanding Its Role in Mental Health & Well-being

Serotonin is a naturally-occurring neurotransmitter involved with a number of mental processes. Many popular medications that treat depression affect the level of serotonin in a person's brain.

Significance

• As reported by the staff of the MayoClinic, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRIs, are popular antidepression medications that regulate serotonin levels.

Function

• The Insight Journal reports that there are a number of different Neurotransmitters that scientists believe are involved with mental health. Inbalances of a neurotransmitter such as serotonin in a person's brain are thought to cause anxiety, depression, ADHD and other emotional disorders.

Warning

• The National Alliance On Mental Illness warns that "recent studies indicate that those who have attempted suicide may also have low levels of the brain chemical serotonin."

Expert Insight

• The neurotransmitters considered directly related to mental health: Dopamine, Serotonin, Norepinephrine and Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA).

HIstory

• The Mayo Clinic considers fluoxetine or (Prozac), that came out in 1987 to be the first SSRI. Other popular antidepressants that are SSRIs include: Citalopram (Celexa), Escitalopram (Lexapro), Fluoxetine (Prozac, Prozac Weekly), Paroxetine (Paxil, Paxil CR, Pexeva) and Sertraline (Zoloft).