Journal of Psychiatry

Changes in Emotional Perception Following Short-Term Antidepressant Use

Wang Rui^* Department of Psychiatry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzho, China
^*Correspondence: Wang Rui, Department of Psychiatry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzho, China, Email:

Received: 01-Jul-2025, Manuscript No. JOP-25-30180; Editor assigned: 03-Jul-2025, Pre QC No. JOP-25-30180; Reviewed: 17-Jul-2025, QC No. JOP-25-30180; Revised: 23-Jul-2025, Manuscript No. JOP-25-30180; Published: 31-Jul-2025, DOI: 10.35248/2378-5756.25.28.761

Description

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are among the most commonly prescribed medications for the treatment of mood disorders, particularly depression and anxiety. While their long-term effectiveness in alleviating mood symptoms has been well-documented, less attention has been paid to their early impact on emotional perception—specifically, how individuals interpret social cues such as facial expressions in the first few weeks of treatment. Emotional recognition plays a vital role in interpersonal functioning and social connection, both of which are often disrupted in individuals experiencing mood disturbances. This study sought to investigate how SSRI treatment may influence emotional perception before significant mood improvement takes place. A total of 75 participants were recruited, each of whom had been newly prescribed an SSRI for mood-related symptoms but had not yet initiated treatment. The study tracked changes in emotional recognition over a four-week period, with particular attention paid to how participants interpreted facial expressions commonly associated with various emotional states.

At baseline, before starting medication, all participants completed a standardized facial expression recognition task. This test involved viewing a series of computer-generated images of faces expressing a range of emotions, including happiness, sadness, anger, fear and neutrality. Participants were asked to identify the emotion conveyed in each image. The same task was repeated at weekly intervals across the four-week study period. Additionally, participants completed weekly self-report mood assessments to track perceived emotional improvement. The results revealed notable changes in emotional perception beginning in the second week of treatment. Participants gradually showed an increased ability to correctly identify neutral and positive facial expressions. By the third week, there was a marked decrease in the mislabeling of neutral faces as negative—a common cognitive bias observed in individuals with depression and anxiety. Misinterpretation of neutral expressions as hostile or sad has previously been linked to heightened interpersonal sensitivity and social withdrawal, making this shift particularly significant.

Interestingly, these perceptual changes occurred independently of participants’ self-reported mood. While some individuals did report mild improvements in mood over the four-week period, statistical analysis found no strong correlation between mood ratings and improvements in emotional recognition. This suggests that SSRIs may begin to alter underlying cognitive and perceptual processes prior to noticeable mood changes, highlighting a possible dissociation between subjective emotional experience and objective emotional processing in the early stages of treatment. One interpretation of these findings is that SSRIs may initially affect emotional bias, specifically reducing the tendency to interpret ambiguous or neutral information in a negative light. This early shift in emotional processing could play a foundational role in long-term recovery by subtly altering how individuals perceive and respond to social environments. As patients begin to interpret social cues more accurately or positively, they may become more open to social engagement, which in turn can contribute to mood improvement over time.

These findings have practical implications for clinical care. Clinicians often advise patients that antidepressants may take several weeks to have noticeable effects on mood, which can lead to frustration or premature discontinuation of medication. Being able to inform patients that changes in emotional perception—such as feeling less threatened by others' expressions or interpreting social interactions more positively—may occur before they feel better emotionally could improve adherence and patient engagement during the early treatment phase. Moreover, improved recognition of positive or neutral emotions could enhance social functioning even before full symptom remission. For example, a person who previously perceived others as judgmental or disapproving may begin to interpret those same interactions in a less negative way, which can reduce social avoidance and increase support-seeking behavior—both key elements in mental health recovery.

Despite its strengths, the study does have several limitations. First, it did not include a placebo group, making it difficult to determine whether the observed changes were due specifically to the pharmacological action of SSRIs or to expectancy effects. Second, the relatively short follow-up period did not allow for analysis of whether these early perceptual changes are sustained or linked with long-term mood outcomes. Future studies could benefit from including a control group, longer observation periods, and additional measures of social functioning to clarify these relationships. Another consideration is the variability in individual responses to different SSRIs. Although all participants in the study were taking medications within the SSRI class, the specific drugs and dosages varied. It remains unclear whether certain SSRIs have more pronounced effects on emotional perception than others or whether these effects are consistent across the entire drug class.

In conclusion, this study provides compelling evidence that SSRIs may influence emotional perception within the first few weeks of treatment, particularly by reducing the tendency to misinterpret neutral facial expressions as negative. These changes appear to occur independently of self-reported mood improvement, suggesting a distinct and early pharmacological effect on social cognition. Clinicians may wish to discuss these perceptual shifts with patients during early follow-ups to provide reassurance and support treatment adherence. Ultimately, understanding how antidepressants affect emotional processing can deepen our insight into their therapeutic mechanisms and improve the overall care of individuals dealing with mood disorders.