SNRIs, or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, are a class of antidepressants designed to help regulate mood, energy, and emotional resilience. An SNRI targets serotonin and norepinephrine, which are two chemicals in the brain. These chemicals have an impact on how we feel, focus, and respond to stress.
Here’s how SNRIs affect teen mental health:
To understand how SNRIs work, it helps to think of the brain as a system of messengers. These messengers—chemicals like serotonin and norepinephrine—carry signals between nerve cells. When the system is running smoothly, these signals help regulate how we feel, how well we focus, and how we respond to stress.
But for some people, those messages don’t quite land. Either there isn’t enough of the chemical being sent, or it’s taken back up by the brain too quickly, before it can really do its job. That can show up in everyday life as low mood, trouble concentrating, irritability, or a kind of flatness that’s hard to explain.
SNRIs work by changing that. They hold the signal in place a little longer—so the message has time to get through. The idea is to create better balance, giving the brain what it needs to regulate emotions and energy more effectively.
While these medications are more commonly used in adults, they’re sometimes considered for teens—especially when other options haven’t brought enough relief, or when symptoms like fatigue, physical pain, or intense social anxiety are part of the picture.
At Mission Prep, we look at the full landscape—how the teen is feeling, what their daily life looks like, and what supports are already in place—before making a decision about medication. SNRIs can be part of the plan, but they’re never the whole story.
Some common SNRIs for adolescents include:
