Antidepressants (class)

Raw research findings for this medication. Mostly single studies, not curated or confirmed robust.

About Antidepressants

What it is

Antidepressants are a class of medicines used for depression and, many of them, for anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, nerve pain and other conditions. The main groups are the SSRIs (such as sertraline and escitalopram), the SNRIs (such as venlafaxine and duloxetine), the tricyclics (such as amitriptyline) and others such as mirtazapine and bupropion. This page collects studies that looked at antidepressants as a group.

How genes come into it

Studies of antidepressants as a group have looked for genes that predict who responds, such as the serotonin receptor gene HTR2A, the stress-hormone regulator FKBP5, BDNF and the transporter ABCB1; none has held up strongly enough for a guideline. The firm evidence is for individual medicines, through the enzymes that break them down: CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 for many SSRIs and tricyclics, and CYP2B6 for sertraline, each covered on its own page.

What research found

Every published finding on gene variants and Antidepressants. Upload your DNA file to see which of these rows apply to you.

Rated evidence (51 rated variants)

PharmGKB weighs all studies of a variant and rates how strong the evidence is, from 1A (strongest) to 4.

HTR1A rs6295: Level 3. Efficacy: Depressive Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder. 7.

BDNF rs6265: Level 3. Efficacy: Depressive Disorder. 7.

FKBP5 rs1360780: Level 3. Efficacy: Depression. 7.

FKBP5 rs3800373: Level 3. Efficacy: Depression. 5.

Metabolism (1 finding)

Studies of how quickly the body processes this medication.

MAOA rs979605: Genotype AA is associated with decreased clinical benefit to antidepressants in people with Depressive Disorder, Major as compared to allele A.

Response (88 findings)

Studies of how well it worked in people carrying a variant.

rs2831440: Allele T is associated with increased response to antidepressants in people with Depressive Disorder, Major as compared to allele G.

rs521093: Allele T is associated with increased response to antidepressants in people with Depressive Disorder, Major as compared to allele C.

ABCB1 rs1128503: Allele A is associated with increased response to antidepressants in people with Depressive Disorder, Major as compared to allele G.

ADCY9 rs2230739: Genotype CC is associated with increased response to antidepressants in people with Depressive Disorder, Major as compared to genotypes CT + TT.

Dosing (3 findings)

Studies of how much of the drug people needed or tolerated.

SLC22A3 rs2292334: Genotypes AG + GG is associated with increased dose of antidepressants in people with Depression as compared to genotype AA.

CYP2D6 CYP2D6 poor metabolizers: CYP2D6 poor metabolizer is not associated with response to antidepressants in people with as compared to CYP2D6 normal metabolizer and ultrarapid metabolizer.

CYP2D6 CYP2D6 poor metabolizers: CYP2D6 poor metabolizer is not associated with dose of antidepressants in people with as compared to CYP2D6 normal metabolizer.

Study findings and evidence levels: PharmGKB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Guidelines: CPIC and DPWG, as bundled in PharmCAT. Most studies were done mainly in people of European ancestry.

Related Drugs

More drugs from the same category

Trintellix (Antidepressants)

Abilify (Antipsychotics)

Adderall (Stimulants)

Not a prescribing recommendation. This page is educational information about pharmacogenomic research and clinical guidelines - it is not medical or dosing advice, and not a prediction of how any medication will work for you. Never start, stop, or change a medication or dose based on it; talk to your doctor or pharmacist, who can order clinical-grade testing if appropriate.

Back to Medications

Content updated September 2026.

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