Volume 30, Issue 172, June 2026

Trazodone: A Versatile Pharmacological Drug for Various Psychiatric Conditions

Gabriela Krych^1♦, Klaudia Jadczak³, Bartłomiej Kazimierski¹, Weronika Gniado¹, Dawid Mądry¹, Aleksandra Rusak², Joanna Oklińska¹, Michał Skóra¹

¹Provincial Complex Hospital named after Jędrzej Śniadecki in Białystok, ul. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 26, 15-950 Białystok, Poland
²The Nicolaus Copernicus Municipal Polyclinical Hospital in Olsztyn, ul. Niepodległości 44, 10-045 Olsztyn, Poland
³University Clinical Hospital in Białystok, ul. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 26, 15- 276 Białystok, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Gabriela Krych, Provincial Complex Hospital named after Jędrzej Śniadecki in Białystok, ul. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 26, 15-950 Białystok, Poland

ABSTRACT

Trazodone is an atypical serotonin reuptake inhibitor and serotonin receptor antagonist. In addition to its approved use for treating depressive disorders, it has received a lot of interest because of its numerous alternative uses to treat other psychiatric disorders. The purpose of the article is to summarize the various uses of trazodone as a treatment option for different psychiatric disorders and to describe its outstanding pharmacological properties and its various uses in clinical practice. However, trazodone is an effective treatment for depressive disorders; its sedative and anxiolytic properties cause the drug to be used extensively as an off-label treatment for insomnia, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, trazodone has become a popularly prescribed medication in combination with other classes of antidepressant medicines to improve the efficacy of these medicines. The articles provide an overview of the pharmacological mechanisms underlying trazodone's antidepressant effects, including both serotonergic and nonserotonergic actions. Trazodone produces its antidepressant effects by antagonizing the 5-HT2A/2C serotonin receptors and inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin. The article will also describe the adverse effects associated with trazodone and the approved indications for use in the United States. This article highlights the need for additional research to evaluate the efficacy of trazodone across various off-label indications. Overall, trazodone provides unique benefits as an agent with antidepressant, anxiolytic, and sedative properties that could be beneficial throughout much of the psychiatric spectrum.

Keywords: trazodone, serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI), depression, insomnia, anxiety disorders

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e115ms3911

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v30i172.e115ms3911

Published: 30 June 2026