What’s the connection between Depression, antipsychotics, and suicide risk?

Is it really treatment-resistant depression or are we using the wrong treatments?

In this episode, Dr. Bret Scher is joined by psychiatrist Dr. Georgia Ede to examine a new large, population-based analysis on the use of antipsychotics versus third-line antidepressants in people diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression, and what effect that has on suicide risk.

They discuss:

• What treatment-resistant depression actually means
• Why so many people fall into this category
• The surprising data on suicide risk and all-cause mortality
• The metabolic side effects of antipsychotic medications
• Alternative options beyond antipsychotics—including ketogenic therapy and other metabolic strategies

This conversation explores why conventional approaches may fall short, and how metabolic psychiatry offers promising, low-risk alternatives.

📌 Please note: This episode discusses suicide and may be triggering for some viewers.

Expert Featured:

Dr. Georgia Ede, MD

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiaedemd/
• https://www.instagram.com/georgiaedemd/?hl=en
• https://x.com/georgiaedemd

Resources Mentioned

Antipsychotic therapy and suicide risk in patients with treatment-resistant depression: target trial emulation framework study

• https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2024.283

CMEs Mentioned:

Managing Major Mental Illness with Dietary Change: The New Science of Hope

• https://www.mycme.com/courses/managing-major-mental-illness-with-dietary-change-9616

Brain Energy: The Metabolic Theory of Mental Illness

• https://www.mycme.com/courses/brain-energy-the-metabolic-theory-of-mental-illness-9615

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.

Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.

Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.