Do Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound Cause Depression or Anxiety? What Regulators and Studies Found

Short answer

The best evidence says no increase. In January 2026 the FDA reviewed 91 placebo-controlled trials with 107,910 people and found no higher risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviour, or of depression, anxiety, irritability or psychosis, with GLP-1 drugs, and asked for the suicidal-thoughts warning to be removed from the Wegovy, Zepbound and Saxenda labels (done February 2026). The European Medicines Agency found no causal link in 2024, and Health Canada found none in type 2 diabetes but called the evidence in people with obesity inconclusive, and the Canadian Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro monographs still tell prescribers to watch for depression and suicidal thoughts. Individual people can still feel worse, and that deserves attention. If you have thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 in the US or 9-8-8 in Canada now. Not medical advice. Peptide Confessions does not publish dosing, timing, injection or sourcing guidance. Facts checked October 28, 2026.

What changed in 2026

Weight-loss medicines have long carried a suicidal-thoughts warning based on older drugs, so Wegovy, Zepbound and Saxenda launched with one. After case reports in 2023, the FDA, the EMA and Health Canada each reviewed the data. On January 13, 2026 the FDA asked for the warning to be removed: its meta-analysis of 91 trials (60,338 people on a GLP-1 drug, 47,572 on placebo) showed no increased risk, and a Sentinel claims study of 2.24 million people with type 2 diabetes found no higher rate of intentional self-harm on GLP-1 drugs than on SGLT-2 inhibitors. The current Wegovy and Zepbound labels list the section as removed in February 2026. The Ozempic and Mounjaro labels, approved for diabetes, do not include it. The FDA still advises telling a clinician about new or worse depression, suicidal thoughts or unusual mood changes.

What the research shows

Trials and large real-world studies point the same way:

Anxiety, flat mood and feeling "numb"

The FDA meta-analysis specifically found no increased risk of anxiety or depression as side effects. People still describe feeling flat or losing interest in food, drink and other pleasures on these drugs, and some describe anxiety. Possible contributors include eating much less, low blood sugar (mainly with insulin or sulfonylureas), dehydration and tiredness (see GLP-1 fatigue), big life and body changes, and the psychological strain that often comes with obesity itself, which Wadden 2024 notes is a reason to monitor mental health in anyone being treated. A persistent change in mood is worth raising with a clinician whatever the cause; it is not something to push through alone.

Zepbound vs Wegovy vs Ozempic for mood

There is no head-to-head trial on mood. In the Chen 2026 records study, tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) and semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) had nearly identical rates of new depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. The FDA's 2026 request covered Zepbound (tirzepatide) as well as Wegovy and Saxenda. Retatrutide, an unapproved investigational triple agonist, was not part of any of these reviews.

When to get help

• —Thoughts of suicide or self-harm: call or text 988 (US) or 9-8-8 (Canada), or call 911. Do not wait for your next appointment.
• —Low mood, hopelessness, loss of interest or anxiety lasting more than two weeks, or getting worse: tell your prescriber or family doctor.
• —A history of depression, suicidal behaviour or other mental illness: mention it before starting. The Canadian Wegovy monograph notes that people with a history of major depression or suicidal behaviour were excluded from its trials.
• —Shaking, sweating, racing heart and confusion, especially with insulin or a sulfonylurea: this can be low blood sugar, not anxiety, and needs prompt treatment.

In Canada

Canada did not follow the US change. The Canadian Wegovy monograph (October 2, 2026) says not to use Wegovy in people with a history of suicide attempts or active suicidal thoughts, to monitor for new or worse depression, and to stop it if suicidal thoughts appear. The Canadian Zepbound monograph (June 11, 2026) has the same advice, and the Canadian Mounjaro monograph (June 2026) asks prescribers to monitor mood and weigh benefits and risks in people with a history of suicide attempts. The Canadian Ozempic monograph has no psychiatric warning. Health Canada's December 2024 review found no causal link in type 2 diabetes, called the evidence in people with obesity inconsistent and inconclusive, reviewed 15 case reports (3 Canadian), and decided no monograph change was needed. The EMA (April 2024) also found no causal link. More: Ozempic side effects in Canada and Mounjaro side effects in Canada.

What users report here

Mood comes up in both directions in live confessions (checked October 28, 2026). #812 fell into depression after losing their mother and, 11 months into tirzepatide, describes a new life. #112 says GLP-1s never caused the flat, grey anhedonia they got from another medicine. The darkest reports involve retatrutide, which is unapproved: #655 describes depression, a short temper and suicidal thoughts, #727 says things they used to enjoy now feel indifferent, #558 feels "numb to the world", and #668 had anxiety on retatrutide that eased after moving back to tirzepatide, while #364 blames night-time low blood sugar on retatrutide for sending their anxiety "through the roof". #825 says the wish to have children faded on Ozempic and then retatrutide. Stories, not rates; if one sounds like you, talk to someone.