On Monday, US researchers revealed that antidepressants, in addition to making sure that the symptoms of depression are eased, might also help make users less neurotic, as has been concluded after an extensive study of people who were on GlaxoSmithKline's Paxil, known generically as paroxetine, which showed that the medicine could also treat issues like "neuroticism that make a person more likely to be depressed in the first place".

People who are neurotic experience emotions which are negative most of the times, and are also emotionally unstable. They often experience major mood swings all throughout the day.

"Our data suggests that modern antidepressants work partly by correcting key personality risk factors of depression. There is also some suggestions that people who are extroverts -- those who tend to be both socially outgoing and have a more positive outlook on life -- are less likely to become depressed", shared lead researcher Tony Tang, a Psychology Professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

The study was conducted on 120 volunteers who were suffering from depression, and conclusions were drawn based on the drug they used.

Details of the study have been published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.