Rethinking depression and the chemical imbalance myth

Joanna Moncrieff is a Professor of Critical and Social Psychiatry at University College London and a consultant psychiatrist for the NHS in London. She is a founding member and co-chairperson of the Critical Psychiatry Network, an international community of psychiatrists advocating for more nuanced, evidence-based approaches to mental health. Her research includes the landmark 2022 umbrella review that found no convincing evidence linking depression to low serotonin levels. Joanna is the author of several books, including The Myth of the Chemical Cure and The Bitterest Pills. Her latest book, Chemically Imbalanced: The Making and Unmaking of the Serotonin Myth, exposes how scientific uncertainty, pharmaceutical marketing, and cultural narratives shaped our understanding of depression. She has written for The Guardian, The Conversation, and Literary Review, and is a frequent commentator in international media.