A new study claims that weight loss drugs are linked to an increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts.

In the study conducted in South Korea, scientists reviewed mental health data from 27,000 adults, including 846 who reported using a prescription weight loss drug.

The study found that people who used weight loss drugs were 93 percent more likely to have depression and 168 percent more likely to report suicidal thoughts than those who did not use the drugs.

Scientists said that while studying people who used GLP-1 drugs for almost a decade, they also found that if they regained weight after being prescribed the drugs, the risk of mental health problems increased further.

Dr. Ki Young-soon and his fellow researchers wrote in their study that the use of weight-loss drugs is associated with an increased risk of depression and suicidal tendencies. This risk is further increased in people who regain weight after using the drugs.

The risk of suicide with weight-loss drugs became a major safety concern when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received hundreds of reports from patients who said they had suicidal thoughts or felt severe despair while using these drugs.

Some patients also said that they had no history of mental health problems, yet such thoughts arose after using the drugs.