# When Do Antidepressants Start Working? New Findings Beyond Conventional Wisdom 🧠💊

- URL: https://alisanburak.com/en/antidepresanlar-etkisini-gostermeye-ne-zaman-baslar-bilinenin-otesinde-yeni-bulgular-🧠💊
- Language: en
- Last updated: 2026-08-15
- Page title: When Do Antidepressants Start Working? New Findings Beyond Conventional Wisdom 🧠💊 | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alişan Burak Yaşar

> In clinical practice and textbooks, we are often told that we need to wait weeks (usually 4–6 weeks) for antidepressants to take effect. However, in the jo

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# When Do Antidepressants Start Working? New Findings Beyond Conventional Wisdom 🧠💊

January 22, 2026Recent Articles

[Görsel: When Do Antidepressants Start Working? New Findings Beyond Conventional Wisdom 🧠💊]

In clinical practice and textbooks, we are often told that we need to wait weeks (usually 4–6 weeks) for antidepressants to take effect. However, a recent study published in Nature Mental Health offers data that could change our perspective on this process.
This new “network analysis” study, using data from the PANDA trial, examined the effects of the active ingredient sertraline on depression and anxiety symptoms on a symptom-by-symptom basis.
📊 Here are the key findings:
1️⃣ Effects May Begin Earlier: Unlike conventional assessments, examining symptoms individually revealed that the medication’s positive effects on core depressive symptoms (sadness, inability to enjoy life) and anxiety began as early as the second week of treatment.
2️⃣ The “Masking” Effect: So why do our patients sometimes not notice this improvement early on? The study reveals that “somatic” (physical) symptoms arising during the first weeks of treatment, such as fatigue, sleep problems, or changes in libido, mask the improvement in mood. In other words, although the total score may suggest no change, core depressive symptoms have actually begun to improve.
3️⃣ The Network Structure Remains Unchanged: Although medications reduce symptom severity, they do not appear to change how symptoms trigger one another (the network structure).
👨‍⚕️ Clinical Interpretation: These findings provide a scientific explanation for why patience is so critical when starting treatment. The side effects you experience in the first few weeks may actually be overshadowing improvements in mood that have already begun in the background. This is why it is so important not to stop your treatment prematurely without consulting your physician.
Note: This post is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. Please follow your doctor’s recommendations.
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