Use of Antidepressants in Microgravity A Review Article on Challenges

As space agencies plan for extended human presence on Mars and other celestial bodies, preserving astronaut mental health becomes a mission-critical objective. Microgravity, combined with environmental stressors such as isolation, circadian disruption, and confinement, increases the risk of psychological disorders, particularly depression. Antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotoninnorepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), remain the cornerstone of pharmacological intervention. However, microgravity alters human physiology in ways that significantly affect
drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics—impacting absorption, plasma distribution, hepatic metabolism, and renal clearance. This necessitates a reevaluation of current dosing strategies and drug delivery methods. Furthermore, microgravity-associated issues such as bone demineralization, vestibular dysfunction, and impaired immune responses may interact with antidepressant efficacy or tolerability. Advances in pharmaceutics, including transdermal systems, 3D-printed drug formulations, and intranasal delivery, offer promising routes to maintain therapeutic levels with reduced systemic burden. This review highlights key physiological challenges in space pharmacology and examines innovative pharmaceutical strategies to optimize antidepressant therapy for long-duration missions, with particular emphasis on stability, delivery, and bioavailability in extraterrestrial environments.
Keywords: Microgravity, Antidepressants, Space pharmacology, Drug delivery systems, Astronaut mental health.