Chemically Imbalanced
The Making and Unmaking of the Serotonin Myth
Format:Hardback
Publisher:The History Press Ltd
Published:16th Jan '25
Should be back in stock very soon
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Paperback£14.99(9781837052677)

'This book is essential reading from one of the most important voices in the psychiatry. It has my enthusiastic support.' - Chris van Tulleken, Ultra-Processed People
We have been told for decades that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, but is that the truth?
Featured on ITV’s THIS MORNING and in SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE
'controversial and courageous' – DAILY MAIL
For years, we’ve been led to believe that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and antidepressants are the solution. But what if this widely accepted belief has been built on unreliable truths?
In Chemically Imbalanced, renowned psychiatrist Joanna Moncrieff takes readers on a thought-provoking journey through the history of the serotonin theory of depression, from its origins in the 1960s to its widespread acceptance in the 1990s. With clarity and compelling evidence, Moncrieff exposes how scientific understanding has been swayed by social and economic forces, leading to misconceptions that have shaped treatment decisions for millions.
Accessible yet profoundly insightful, Chemically Imbalanced is essential reading for anyone seeking to make more informed choices about their mental health and understand the forces that shape the way we perceive and treat depression today.
‘controversial and courageous.’
* Daily Mail *‘the most comprehensive rebuttal to date.’
* New Scientist *‘Authoritative and well-researched, Chemically Imbalanced documents the overinflation of antidepressant efficacy, where the false scientific information repeated is altogether misleading. The scale of deception and fraud unearthed is staggering and incendiary.’
-- Christopher Lane * Psychology Today *‘A complicated story told with patience and passion on behalf of the patient.’
-- Jeannette Hyde, author of The Gut Makeover‘This is a scholarly and utterly engaging examination of one of the most important health scandals of the last few decades. Privileging the use of anti-depressants over all other individual and structural solutions for the growing crisis of mental health has harmed millions of people - this book is essential reading from one of the most important voices in the psychiatry. It has my enthusiastic support.’
-- Chris Van Tulleken, doctor, TV presenter and author of Ultra-Processed People and Secrets of the Human Body‘This essential book debunks one of the greatest misperceptions besetting current medical practice: that what we call mental illness is reducible to biological causes, divorced from people’s life experiences and traumas. Dr. Moncrieff explains both the scientific flaws and the deliberate manipulations underlying much of today’s psychiatric ideology and treatment.’
-- Gabor Maté M.D., author of The Myth of Normal and When the body says no‘This is the most important health book written in recent decades. It exposes a medical myth that has misled millions of people into taking powerful psychotropic drugs unnecessarily. It tells the story of how science was abused in the service of money and power, and how we, the public, have been the victims. This is the chilling story of how, in the name of helping, a medical community has caused harm, and how we can put things right again.’
-- James Davies, academic and author of Sedated and Cracked‘Everyone 'knows’ that depression is caused by low levels of serotonin in the brain. However, the scientific data show that this is false. Professor Joanna Moncrieff and her colleagues have reviewed these data and exposed the fact that the serotonin-depression connection is a myth. This book should be read by all psychiatrists and physicians with depressed patients, as well as by anyone considering taking an antidepressant medication.’
-- Irving Kirsch, academic at the Harvard Medical School and author of The Emperor’s New Drugs‘Joanna Moncrieff is one of the most important scientists in the world. Her research has revolutionised our understanding – everyone should read this book.’
-- Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Stolen Focus and Lost ConnectionsISBN: 9781803996790
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