Depression can kill our sex drives – are new antidepressants the answer?

While we may feel relatively comfortable talking about other aspects of depression, English coyness makes anything to do with sex – particularly our own struggles – about as out of bounds as it gets, writes Ian Hamilton

What all this reminds me of is the considerable sacrifice that people make when complying with antidepressant treatment (Getty)

Depression is cruel. It not only causes sleep disturbance and loss of appetite, but can rob you of sexual desire. Little wonder sexual desire and performance are affected at a time when your mood is in your boots and the future looks bleak.

The commonly prescribed medication for depression only compounds the problem. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like citalopram or fluoxetine (Prozac) are also known to interfere with all aspects of sex, from arousal to orgasm. This is a problem that understandably puts many people off taking these types of medications, or continuing to take them if they have already started.

So a new piece of research about antidepressants and sexual dysfunction caught my eye this week. The authors explore what has already been investigated in relation to this issue, not only among the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, but the less well-known ones too. Their findings reveal potentially important differences in the way that these types of drugs impact sexual functioning.