# Serotonin’s Role in Mental Health Is More Complex than We Thought **Authors:** Elizabeth Hlavinka PMC · DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.6c00148 · ACS Central Science · 2026-02-02 ## TL;DR New research suggests that serotonin's role in mental health is more complicated than previously believed. ## Contribution The paper challenges the traditional view of serotonin as the sole cause of mental health conditions. ## Key findings - Chemical imbalances may not be the primary cause of depression and anxiety. - The relationship between serotonin and mental health is more nuanced than previously thought. ## Abstract Recent research has opened the debate on whether chemical imbalances cause depression, anxiety, and other conditions. ## Linked entities - **Chemicals:** serotonin (PubChem CID 5202) - **Diseases:** depression (MONDO:0002050), anxiety (MONDO:0005618) ## Full-text entities - **Genes:** BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) [NCBI Gene 627] {aka ANON2, BULN2}, SLC6A4 (solute carrier family 6 member 4) [NCBI Gene 6532] {aka 5-HTT, 5-HTTLPR, 5HTT, HTT, OCD1, SERT} - **Diseases:** overdose (MESH:D062787), panic attack (MESH:D016584), loss of appetite (MESH:D001068), bipolar disorder (MESH:D001714), depressed (MESH:D003866), obsessive-compulsive disorder (MESH:D009771), mental health disorders (OMIM:603663), chills (MESH:D023341), Mental (MESH:D008607), fever (MESH:D005334), diarrhea (MESH:D003967), hair loss (MESH:D000505), mood disorders (MESH:D019964), anxiety (MESH:D001007), mental illness (MESH:D001523), postfinasteride syndrome (MESH:D013577), Parkinson's disease (MESH:D010300), Pain (MESH:D010146), serotonin deficiency (MESH:D020230), acid reflux (MESH:D005764) - **Chemicals:** short-chain fatty acids (MESH:D005232), Psilocybin (MESH:D011562), Serotonin (MESH:D012701), dihydrotestosterone (MESH:D013196), tryptophan (MESH:D014364), dopamine (MESH:D004298), finasteride (MESH:D018120), C&EN (-), glutamate (MESH:D018698), norepinephrine (MESH:D009638), testosterone (MESH:D013739), psilocin (MESH:C009105) - **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606] ## Full text _Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12947547/full.md ## Figures 4 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12947547/full.md --- Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12947547