RFK Jr. unveils campaign for 'deprescribing' antidepressants [View all]
Source: The Hill
05/05/26 2:05 PM ET
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced his new initiative boost “deprescribing” psychiatric medications, during a Make America Healthy Again Institute summit on mental health and overmedicalization. “Today, we take clear and decisive action to confront our nation’s mental health crisis by addressing the overuse of psychiatric medications —especially among children,” Kennedy said.
“We will support patient autonomy, require informed consent and shared decision-making, and shift the standard of care toward prevention, transparency and a more holistic approach to mental health,” he added. As part of the initiative, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will issue a report on prescribing trends. In a “Dear Colleague” letter on Monday, top officials within the HHS wrote that psychiatric medications “should not be understood as the only treatment option.”
Kennedy has previously criticized psychiatric medications, suggesting in the past that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors could be linked to school shootings. The HHS secretary also claimed these medications are more addictive than heroin, despite evidence to the contrary. Kennedy himself is a recovering heroin addict.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16.5 percent of adults in 2020 were taking psychiatric medications for their mental health. The American Psychiatric Association (APA), which represents more than 40,000 members involved in psychiatric care and research, signaled on Monday it was receptive to the spirit of Kennedy’s initiative but pushed back on how it characterized mental healthcare.
Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5863973-kennedy-deprescribing-psychiatric-meds/
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