The Epigenetic Effects Associated with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Treatment

Depression is the most predominant psychiatric disorder worldwide. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are well-known drugs among the extensively used antidepressants. Additionally, SSRIs are used in the treatment of other behavioral disorders. The etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) involves gene-environment interactions. Epigenetic modifications have a crucial role in managing treatment and prognostic benefits. It was shown that there is a clear relationship between SSRIs and epigenetic modifications. The epigenetic mechanisms underlying antidepressant drug treatment remain incompletely understood. Numerous studies have reported correlations between epigenetic modifications in genes such as BDNF, MAOA, SLC6A4, HTR1A, and HTR1B, as well as genome-wide methylation patterns, and treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in adult patients. Similarly, evidence suggests that prenatal and early-life exposure to SSRIs is associated with adverse outcomes, potentially affecting a child’s physiological, emotional, and psychological development by altering methylation patterns in specific genes compared to non-exposed ones. These findings point to the potential use of epigenetic profiles as biomarkers to predict antidepressant treatment response, as well as to explain their toxicities and side effects. This review examines the impact of SSRI exposure on epigenetic modifications.